Spring is here! Although we could still feel the cold breeze in early mornings and in some late nights, it’s practically the end of winter. So delighted to share our activities for the month of March. In this post, we are studying about the body parts of a monarch butterfly. My daughter, Audrey just turned 47 months here and will be celebrating her fourth birthday next month. Yes, she’s a spring baby! To make spring fun, memorable and meaningful, I wanted to focus on activities and unit study that are related to this perfect season of the year such as flowers, bugs, insects, plants, weather, and arts and crafts! Before we dive into our topic, I discuss to her first the characteristics and a short facts about monarch butterfly.
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Monarch Butterfly– Are flying insects that belongs to Lepidoptera group. Butterfly has two pairs of scaly wings and two segmented, clubbed antennae. Like all insects, they have three main body parts (head, thorax and abdomen), 3 pairs of jointed legs, compound and single eyes, and a segmented exoskeleton.
Monarchs are famous for migrating. Most monarchs fly to Mexico. Study shows that they can fly as fast as 35 miles an hour. Other can flew 265 miles in one day. That’s how they got their nickname “wanderers.”
Monarch Butterfly Anatomy
Forewing- Are the anterior wings attached to the mesothorax or the middle segment of the thorax.
Hindwing- Is the posterior wings attached to the metathorax or the last segment of the thorax.
Antennae– Is a sensory appendage that is attached to the head of adult insects. It is used for the sense of smell and balance.
Compound eyes- Butterfly have a set of two spherical compound eyes. This eyes are multifaceted and are used for their main eye sight.
Head- The head is the part of the insect that contains the brain, two compound eyes, the proboscis and the pharynx or the start of the digestive system. The two antennae are attached to the head.
Proboscis- Adult butterflies sip nectar and other liquids using a spiral, straw-like proboscis located on their head. When not in use, the proboscis is coiled up like a garden hose pipe.
Audrey is putting the labels of the monarch butterfly and matching the part labels from the control card on her right.
Thorax- Is the body section between the head and the abdomen. The legs and wings are attached to the thorax.
Six Legs– Butterfly have six legs that are attached to the thorax.
Abdomen- Is the segmented tail are of the insect that contains vital organs such as the heart, reproductive organs, Malpighian tubules and most of the digestive system.
White Spots– Are spots located along the edges of the monarch butterfly hindwing and forewing.
Wing Veins- Male and female monarch butterflies varies. Females have thicker wing veins than males.
A short video wherein she read out loud the Parts Of The Monarch Butterfly.
Resources:
Parts of a Monarch Butterfly printable- Mama’s Happy Hive
Parts of a Monarch Butterfly- Butterfly Anatomy
Books: A Butterfly Is Patient
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