Butterflies LEVELED BOOK • S

and Moths
A Reading A–Z Level S Leveled Book
Word Count: 1,303
Butterflies and Moths

Written by Kira Freed

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Butterflies and Moths

Level S Leveled Book
© Learning A–Z Correlation
Written by Kira Freed Written by Kira Freed
Illustrations by Cende Hill
LEVEL S
Fountas & Pinnell O
All rights reserved. Reading Recovery 34
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DRA 34
 Introduction

Butterflies and moths can be beautiful

to watch. People plant gardens to attract
butterflies. Butterflies at zoos and city
gardens draw large crowds. However, no one
builds a garden to attract moths. Many people
think of moths as pests.

So, how are butterflies and moths the

same, and how are they different? What
makes a butterfly a butterfly? What makes
a moth a moth? To answer these questions,
we need to learn
Table of Contents about their body
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 parts, life cycle,
and behavior.
What Are Butterflies and Moths? . . . . . . . . . . 5

Life Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Do You Know?
Life as an Adult . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 The largest butterfly
in the world is the Queen
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Alexandra’s birdwing.
From wingtip to wingtip
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 it can be as wide as 30
cm (12 in). It is found in
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Papua New Guinea.

Butterflies and Moths • Level S 3 4

 What Are Butterflies and Moths? Butterflies and moths have many of the
same body parts, so it is easy to see why
Butterflies and moths are insects. Like all
people have trouble telling them apart.
insect species, they are invertebrates, which
means they have no backbone. Instead, they antenna
have a hard skin, called an exoskeleton, that
protects their soft insides. They also have head
six legs, a body divided into three parts,
two antennae, and two compound eyes. thorax

Their wings are covered with scales, abdomen

which are like fine, flat hairs. These scales wings

butterfly moth
protect the wings from getting too wet and
help them hold in heat. Butterflies cannot fly
if they are too cold. They often sit in the sun to Head  • Compound eyes made up of many
warm up before flying. smaller eyes allowing them to see all
around them
scales
• Antennae to smell and to sense movement
wings
• Mouth is a long tube
for sucking nectar Do You Know?
More than 165,000
Thorax  • Two pairs of wings
kinds, or species, of
• Three pairs of legs butterflies and moths
antenna
exist. Most of these are
• Breathing holes
eye moths. It is believed that
Abdomen  • Digestive organs another 100,000 species
tube-like exist that have not been
mouth • Reproductive organs studied or identified.
body legs • Breathing holes

Butterflies and Moths • Level S 5 6

 However, butterflies and moths are also Life Cycle
different from each other in many ways. The
After a pair of male and female butterflies
next time you find a butterfly or moth, use
or moths mate, the female lays her eggs. She
this chart to help you tell which kind of insect
lays them on or near leaves, twigs, or flowers
you have found.
so that her young will have something to eat
when they hatch.

Butterflies Moths
Most are active during Most are active at night.
the day.
Most are dull in color.
Lobster moth egg
Most are brightly colored.
“Fat, furry” body
Skinny body without “fur”
Plain or feathery anten-
Most have antennae with nae
knobs.
Most rest with their wings
Most rest with their wings spread out flat at the
above their body. sides of their body.
Enlarged lobe on each Tiny hook or bristle that
hind wing that provides links each forewing and
overlap hindwing while in flight

White butterfly eggs

Butterflies and Moths • Level S 7 8

 The life of caterpillars is filled with danger.
They are food for many larger animals, such
as lizards, birds, bats, and small mammals.
Caterpillars have many interesting ways to
protect themselves from being eaten.

Some caterpillars have spines and other

hairs that make them taste bad to predators.
Others have colors or patterns on their bodies
A swallowtail caterpillar crawls out of its egg. that make them appear more dangerous than
they are. Caterpillars also can be masters at
When eggs hatch, caterpillars come out. hiding, blending in with their background,
This begins the larval stage of the butterfly or staying still until night comes, or until the
and moth life cycle. Caterpillars have chewing danger goes away.
mouth parts and can eat 27,000 times their
body weight during their lifetime. Their egg The swallowtail butterfly caterpillar has
case is often their first meal, followed by the red horns that release a
leaf or flower they’re on, and then the rest of strong odor to keep
the plant. away predators. Many
caterpillars feed on
A caterpillar’s job is to eat and grow. As plants that make them
it grows, its skin becomes tight and breaks taste bad to birds and
away. A new skin grows in its place to allow other enemies. These
the caterpillar to get bigger. This is called caterpillars often are
molting. A caterpillar molts four or five times brightly colored to warn
during its life. The caterpillar is fully grown others: Do not eat me!
after about two weeks. Owl butterfly caterpillar

Butterflies and Moths • Level S 9 10

 Just a few hours after the pupal stage begins,
Do You Know? different mouth parts, legs, new muscles, and
The pupa cannot move tiny wings begin to form. The change from pupa
to escape predators. Many
butterfly chrysalises are to adult can take a few weeks. The entire change
well hidden by looking from egg to larva to pupa, and then to adult, is
like a dead leaf or piece of called metamorphosis.
bark. Some chrysalises are
poisonous and are brightly When the adult is fully formed, it breaks
colored to tell predators that
they are not good to eat. out of the case. Its wings, which are damp and
crumpled, must expand, dry, and harden before
This Puss moth cocoon blends in with tree the insect can fly. When the butterfly or moth
bark to keep predators from seeing it.
comes out of
butterfly
its chrysalis, it
When a caterpillar is fully grown, it enters (adult) is adult in size
the pupal stage. In this stage, a caterpillar and will not
slowly changes into an adult. It appears dead grow any more.
from the outside, but amazing
changes are happening inside.
Do You Know?
The caterpillars of most butterflies enter chrysalis For most butterflies and
(pupa) moths, life is short! Adults
this stage by sticking their back end onto
live for two weeks to two
a twig, leaf, or other object. The last molt months, except for the
leaves a soft pupal skin that hardens into monarch, which can live
caterpillar from nine to twelve months.
a case called a chrysalis. The caterpillars (larva)
of many moths go through the pupal stage
underground or on the ground. Others spin This photo shows
three stages of
a cocoon to protect themselves. metamorphosis.

Butterflies and Moths • Level S 11 12

 Adult butterflies and moths, like
Do You Know? caterpillars, have many ways to hide to stay
Lantana and butterfly safe from predators. Some have patterns on
bush are great plants their wings that help them to blend in with
for attracting beautiful
butterflies to your garden. nature. Many patterns look exactly like leaves
If you want to attract moths or flowers. Other butterflies and moths have
at night, try smearing bright patterns on their wings, such as spots
mashed banana and honey
on a tree trunk. Keep that look like eyes, to scare away enemies.
watch with a flashlight. Some, such as the monarch butterfly, are
brightly colored to warn predators that they
A monarch feeds on butterfly bush.
taste bad.

Life as an Adult
SPOTLIGHT ON: Buckeye Butterfly
Adult butterflies and moths come in many Wingspan: 4.2 to 7 cm
shapes, sizes, and colors. Many butterflies are (1.7– 2.8 in)
brightly colored, but others are white or light Range: North America,
colored. While many moths have dull colors, from southern Canada
some, such as the luna moth, have amazing to southern Mexico
colors or patterns.
Appearance: The wings
Adult butterflies and moths have many of the buckeye butterfly have large eyespots of
black, blue, and yellow. The eyespots look like the
enemies. They need to be as careful as
eyes of a large animal. A predator may be scared
caterpillars not to get eaten. Even though
when the buckeye shakes its wings and flashes
adult butterflies and moths can fly, many
its eyespots. This may give the butterfly an extra
animals that hunt them—such as birds and second or two to fly away before being eaten.
bats—can fly, too.

Butterflies and Moths • Level S 13 14

 SPOTLIGHT ON: Luna Moth Butterflies have a good sense of sight, but a
Wingspan: 7.5 to 11.3 cm (3– 4.4 in)
poor sense of smell. The flowers they eat from
are brightly colored. Flowers
Range: Eastern and plains areas of United States and
often grow in groups that
Canada
provide butterflies with a place
Appearance: The luna moth has beautiful pastel to land. Butterflies often walk
green wings with reddish-brown edges. The unusual
around flower groups, sucking
shape of its hind wings helps it to hide among
nectar from each blossom with
leaves when it is resting. This is one of a few moths
that never eat as an adult. It eats enough to last
their mouth parts.
a lifetime while it is a Flowers pollinated by Because most moths are
caterpillar. It spends its butterflies and moths
often have very active at night, most of the
adult life seeking a mate different shapes.
flowers they eat from are
and laying eggs.
light colored to be seen in
moonlight. These flowers often
Most adult give off a sweet smell to attract
butterflies and moths them. Because moths often
feed on nectar, a sweet liquid from flowers. hover rather than land, the
They suck up nectar using their mouth parts, flowers’ petals are shaped
which look like a hollow tube and work like to allow for easy eating.
a straw that curls up
mouth Butterflies and moths have sense organs
parts when not in use.
in their antennae, mouth parts, legs, feet, and
Butterflies and moths
other parts of their bodies. These sense organs
do not have jaws or
help them find food, mates, and plants on
teeth, and they do not
which to lay eggs.
eat solid food.

Butterflies and Moths • Level S 15 16

 Conclusion

Over the years, people have collected

butterflies and moths for scientific study
North
America and as a hobby. Scientists and others have
learned a great deal about these insects from
N
collections. However, millions of these beautiful
PACIFIC insects have lost their lives because of collectors.
OCEAN

(Left) Monarchs resting (Right) Monarch migration routes

Watching butterflies and Do You
moths while they are alive is Know?
much kinder and also more Do not touch
Some butterflies and moths that live in cold
interesting. You can learn a great butterflies or
places migrate to warmer places before winter moths. The oils
deal about their similarities and on human hands
begins. The best known butterfly that migrates
differences just by watching can hurt their
is the monarch butterfly. Monarchs in North
them fly and feed. Take pictures wings. No matter
America begin their long journey south when how gentle you
of them or catch them in a net try to be, you are
it begins to cool off in late summer or fall.
for a closer look (don’t touch!) likely to hurt them
Monarchs living west of the Rocky Mountains
and then let them go. View by breaking a
fly to several places on the California coast. piece of wing or
photos of your favorite species rubbing off some
Monarchs living east of the Rockies fly as
on the Internet or in a book. scales.
far as 4,800 kilometers (2,982 mi) to Mexico.
Build or visit a butterfly garden
When they reach warmer places, millions
and keep a journal to record their activities.
of them rest in trees through the winter. In
spring, they migrate north again in search However you choose to enjoy butterflies and
of plants on which to lay their eggs. No one moths, remember that they are among nature’s
knows how monarchs find their way. most amazing insects.

Butterflies and Moths • Level S 17 18

 Glossary molting t he process of an animal
shedding its whole skin (p. 9)
antennae t he feelers on an insect’s head
that help it feel and smell (p. 5) predators a nimals that hunt and eat other
animals (p. 10)
caterpillars t he larvae of butterflies and
moths (p. 9) pupal a stage in an insect’s life cycle
when it is changing from a
chrysalis t he stiff case around the pupa caterpillar into an adult (p. 11)
of a butterfly (p. 11)
species a group of animals that share
cocoon t he case around the pupa many traits (p. 5)
of some moths, usually made
of silk (p. 11)
Index
exoskeleton t he hard, outer shell of insects
and their relatives (p. 5) adults, 11–15 metamorphosis, 12
insects s mall animals that have six buckeye butterfly, 14 migrate, 17
jointed legs and a body with caterpillar(s), 9–11, 14, 15 molt (-ing), 9, 11
three parts; many have wings,
too (p. 5) chrysalis, 11 monarch butterfly, 17
cocoon, 11 nectar, 6, 15, 16
invertebrates a nimals that do not have
a backbone (p. 5) body parts, 5, 6 predators, 10, 11, 14
larval a stage in an insect’s life cycle differences, 7, 13 pupal, 11-12
just after hatching from its egg eggs, 8, 9, 15–17 Queen Alexandra’s
(p. 9)
exoskeleton, 5 birdwing, 4
metamorphosis t he process of changing from invertebrates, 5 scales, 5
one form into another (p. 12)
larval, 9 senses, 16
migrate t o move from one place to
life cycle, 8, 9, 11-12 species, 5
another, such as from a cold
place to a warm place (p. 17) luna moth, 15

Butterflies and Moths • Level S 19 20