Answers to the Butterfly Quiz
1. c – Only missing in the polar regions and South America, Painted Lady is the most widespread butterfly in the world. It has been found as north as in the Spitzbergen.
2. d – The pupal stage can last more than 12 months. In the Arctic regions, if the weather conditions are too severe, the pupae can “skip” a summer and postpone their development till the next summer.
3. a – Butterflies have and excellent sense of colour. The eyes of a butterfly or a moth are composed of a large number of small eyes, the ocelli. So this structure also allows them to detect movements and danger particularly well.
4. a and b are both correct. Numerous swallowtails are threatened and rare, because for a long time they have been attractive to collectors, and are still. IUCN, The World Conservation Union publishes Red Data Books, catalogues that list the most threatened plants and animals. Butterflies figure in two of these books.
Personally, I suggest everyone to take a stand against butterfly collecting and the butterfly trade. In my opinion, there is absolutely nothing to justify the killing and exploiting of butterflies.
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