Kallima inachus butterflies are special species, everyone knows how beautiful and delicate the wings of a butterfly are almost like a second skin.
What most people don’t know is that there is so much more to these beautiful creatures than what meets the eye. In fact, if you look closely, you will find that their wings have an array of hidden features that make them even more amazing than first thought.
Which makes the Kallima inachus butterflies even more fascinating. As you keep reading, you get to know the 4 interesting facts about the kallima inachus butterfly you must have not heard before.
A Brief Look at the Kallima Inachus Butterfly
The Kallima inachus butterfly has a wingspan of around one inch and is dark brown in colour with yellow markings on the edges of its wings. In fact, the name “inachus” is derived from the Greek word “Inachus” meaning “river”.
This is because they live in river valleys, which are mostly surrounded by forests. Although the species is mostly native to Australia, you will also find them in New Guinea. The Kallima inachus butterfly breed in the fall and winter months, with the female laying eggs on a plant’s leaves.
More than one female may lay eggs on a single plant, so many larvae can feed from a single patch of leaves. The caterpillars hatch from the eggs and transform into butterflies within about a month.
Read also: Is a Butterfly an Insect? The Behaviors of Butterflies
4 Facts You Didn’t Know About kallima Inachus Butterflies
The kallima inachus butterflies are native to New Guinea and Australia but can be found in other parts of the world as well. To learn more about this type of butterfly, keep reading for these 4 intriguing facts!
1. Their Wings Are Almost Transparent
A common misconception about butterflies is that their wings are colourful because they are pigmented. In actual fact, the colours that we see come from the way light bends through the wing’s thin surface, which makes the wings appear to be rich in colour.
Butterflies actually have a thin layer of cells which are transparent. This is what allows the light to shine through the wings in the first place, which means that you can see the veins and other parts of the insect’s body through the wings as well.
However, they do have a coloured pigment in their bodies, which is what gives them their colour. This pigment is called “protoporphyrin”, which is stored in the butterfly’s abdomen. When the butterfly wants to transform the colour of its wings, the pigment travels up to the wings.
Read also: Where Does Butterfly Live?
2. They Have A Unique Migration Pattern
Migrating is something that most animals do, including butterflies. And whilst some species migrate over extremely long distances, others only travel a few hundred kilometres.
The Kallima inachus butterfly migrates to the south of Australia to the rainforest areas where they lay their eggs. The eggs are laid on the leaves of the evergreen plants, with one female laying around 100 eggs on average.
When the caterpillar’s hatch, they feed on the leaves of the plant, before transforming into butterflies and flying back to the north of Australia.
Read also: Monarch Butterflies Life Cycle | Facts and Observation
3. The Females Lay Their Eggs Together
Unlike other species where the female lays her eggs one at a time, this type lays them together. The female butterflies lay their eggs on the leaves of the plant Bauhinia blakei and other species from the Fabaceae family.
The reason why they do this is to protect their eggs from predators. By laying them together, the butterflies can make sure that all their eggs are covered, so there is less chance of them being eaten.
In fact, when laying them, the butterflies stay on top of their eggs, with the eggs being placed in grooves on the host plant leaves.
Read also: Why Are Monarch Butterflies Endangered Species?
4. They Have a Unique Defense Mechanism
Like other species, the Kallima inachus butterflies have a number of ways to defend themselves from predators. As they live in the rainforest, there are a number of dangers, including birds, reptiles, and even other insects.
However, the butterflies have a cool trick to keep predators away. When the butterflies are threatened or feel threatened, they release a thick, black liquid from their abdomens. This liquid is incredibly foul smelling, which wards off predators while they are still far away.
Conclusion
These facts show that even though butterflies are beautiful, delicate creatures, they also have a few tricks up their sleeves. And the Kallima inachus butterflies are no different.
As these species are very small and fragile, it is important to treat them with care. This includes making sure that you have plants in your garden that caterpillars can eat, and that you don’t have pesticides on them. kallima Inachus Butterflies
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