Delicate is a word often associated with butterflies. While their slender bodies and slight wings are the picture of fragility, their lively colours are anything but weak.
More than fifteen thousand species of butterflies flutter all over the world. They come in all sizes and shapes, patterns and colours, each a delight to see. The Common Blue Morpho at rest is brown with yellow eyespots, but in flight they show off brilliant blue wings. The Giant Owl Butterfly has a wingspan of almost half a foot, and best illustrates a butterfly's defense mechanism of mimicry: The large eyespots on these butterflies look just like an owl's, fooling predators into finding something else for lunch.
Their playful colours and flighty movements make it easy to forget butterflies are a wonder in aerodynamics and ecological diversity. Seeing these butterflies flit from flower to flower is one of the simple wonders of the world.
Butterflies feed on a host of liquids, anything from flower nectar to animal poo, and even human sweat. They live in all 10 Canadian provinces, and you can get up close to these bright creatures on both coasts at the Victoria Butterfly Gardens in British Columbia and the Newfoundland Insectarium and Butterfly Pavilion in Newfoundland and Labrador. At both sites, you can wander through controlled tropical climates where free-flying butterflies show off their colours and learn about the life cycle of each species.
Imperial Butterfly House Entrance Vienna Austria Under the statues and unique architecture of this building you will find the entrance to the Imperial Butterfly House in Vienna, Austria. |
Butterfly Cocoon Picture For butterfly enthusiasts, this picture shows how a cocoon attaches itself to a tree branch at the Victoria Butterfly Gardens on Vancouver Island, BC. |
Swallowtail Butterfly A beautiful crimson colored Swallowtail Butterfly feeds off the ends of a tropical plant at Victoria Butterfly Gardens on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. |
Butterflies Victoria Butterfly Gardens BC One of the hundreds of butterflies that flutter throughout the tropical gardens at Victoria Butterfly Gardens in Victoria, BC. |
Picture Of Butterfly Chrysalis This picture is a display of three green chrysalids and one brown chrysalis which are from the Common Blue Morpho Butterfly and a Brown Heliconidae at the Victoria Butterfly Gardens on Vancouver Island. |
Common Mormon A detailed picture of the wings of a Common Mormon Butterfly as he rests on a leaf at the Victoria Butterfly Gardens on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. |
Common Blue Morpho Butterfly Photo With the wings held up it is almost difficult to imagine the vivid colours and beauty of the Common Blue Morpho Butterfly. |
Brown Clipper Butterfly Victoria Canada A small and delicate species of butterfly, the Brown Clipper almost blends in with its surroundings in the Victoria Butterfly Gardens on Vancouver Island. |
Pictures Of Butterflies Victoria Butterfly Gardens in Victoria, British Columbia is a tropical paradise where butterflies soar freely and pictures are easily attainable. |
Butterfly Common Blue Morpho A beautiful Common Blue Morpho butterfly rests upon a radiant flower at Victoria Butterfly Gardens in Victoria, British Columbia. |
Butterfly Species Victoria Many butterfly species reside at the Victoria Butterfly Gardens in British Columbia, one being the Giant Owl Butterfly. |
Butterfly Chrysalis Butterfly chrysalis hang from a wooden board at Victoria Butterfly World in Victoria, Canada. |
Orange Tiger Butterfly Victoria An Orange Tiger Butterfly rests peacefully on a leaf at the Victoria Butterfly Gardens in Victoria, British Columbia. |
Malachite Butterfly A Malachite Butterfly shows of his radiant colored wings at the Victoria Butterfly Gardens on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. |
Scarlet Mormon Victoria A Scarlet Mormon butterfly sits upon some of the lush greenery at the Victoria Butterfly Gardens in Victoria, British Columbia. |
Giant Owl Butterfly Victoria Victoria Butterfly Gardens in Victoria, Canada is the ideal place for tourists to get a close look at a Giant Owl Butterfly. |
Brown Clipper Butterfly Victoria Gardens A Brown Clipper butterfly rests upon a blossoming flower at Victoria Butterfly Gardens in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. |
Common Mormon Butterfly The details of the wings of a Common Mormon Butterfly at the Victoria Butterfly Gardens on Vancouver Island. |
Common Blue Morpho Butterfly The underside of the Common Blue Morpho Butterfly gives little evidence of the fluorescent colour of the top of the wings. |
Tiger Butterfly On A Leaf The Tiger Butterfly is one of the easier species of butterfly to photograph as it rests on a leaf with wings laid out flat. |
Scarlet Mormon Butterfly The Scarlet Mormon Butterfly rests on a plant at the Victoria Butterfly Gardens in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. |
Giant Owl Butterfly The Giant Owl Butterfly is found from Mexico through South America. |
Tiger Longwing Butterfly An Adult Tiger longwing Butterfly rests on a green leaf at the Victoria Butterfly Gardens on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. |
Tiger Butterfly The Victoria Butterfly Gardens feature many species of Butterflies including the Tiger Butterfly. |
Pink Cattleheart Butterfly Adult Pink Cattleheart butterflies have a wing span of approximately 2 to 3 inches. |
Brown Clipper Butterfly A Brown Clipper Butterfly rests open winged at the Victoria Butterfly Gardens on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. |
Common Mormon Butterfly The beautiful colours of the Common Morman seen at the Butterfly Gardens in Victoria, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. |
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