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Weaknesses of a Butterfly

During their life cycles, butterflies have several challenges, and during each stage they have bodily weakness that expose them to danger. The eggs and caterpillars' bodies are soft, making them easy prey. Wasps insert their eggs into butterfly eggs, and birds eat the caterpillars. At the last stage in the life cycle, the mainly day-flying insects minimize the effects of its bodily weaknesses in several ways.

Chrysalis
- After a couple of weeks in the protective chrysalis, a butterfly emerges. Its wings are weak and wet and it cannot yet fly. The wings need to dry and the butterfly needs to pump fluid from its abdomen through veins in the wings. During this stage, the butterfly cannot escape from predators. Some species of butterfly only feed on nectar provided by certain flowers -- this makes them vulnerable to loss of habitat.
Head
- Butterflies have a three-part body, consisting of head, thorax and abdomen. The head contains the eyes, the proboscis and the antenna. Between the compound eyes, there is a pair of antennae that is used for the sense of smell and balance. The antennae guide the butterfly towards potential mates. Some species of butterflies, such as Nemophora degeerella, have antennae that are five times the length of its wings. Long antennae are vulnerable to breakage.
Thorax and Abdomen
- The middle of the butterfly has three pairs of jointed legs. Some species, such as Nymphalidae, have shorter front legs, and these are less susceptible to breakage. A butterfly with a broken leg has difficulty landing after a flight, which may cause further damage. A butterfly's abdomen is soft and it consists of 10 different segments, which are linked with flexible tissues. The abdomen contains the digestive system, breathing apparatus, tubular heart and the sexual organs. Each segment has a ring of hard material, called chitin, but the soft tissue between the segments means that the body construction is weak that there is little extra protection for vital organs, such as the heart.
Wings and Body Temperature
- The butterfly's wings are its most striking but also most vulnerable part. The wings are extremely thin and made of chitin stretched over a vein-like structure. They have four wings that act as one wing during flight. A butterfly with a broken wing cannot fly, and usually starves to death. A butterfly is cold-blooded and needs to maintain a certain body temperature to be able to fly. A butterfly is also susceptible to heat and can quickly become dehydrated, especially in tropical or sub-tropical areas.

Animals & Science