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Zoom Butterflies Butterfly Anatomy |
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| Egg Anatomy | Caterpillar Anatomy | Pupa Anatomy | Butterfly Anatomy | |||
| Butterfly Head | Butterfly Thorax | Butterfly Wings | Butterfly Abdomen | |||
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Butterfly Anatomy Butterfly Anatomy Printout |
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Butterflies are flying insects with two pairs of scaly wings and two segmented, clubbed antennae. Like all insects, they have a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), 3 pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and a segmented exoskeleton.
| FUNCTION | STRUCTURE IN BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS |
|---|---|
| Body structure and protection | An exoskeleton made of chitin, a type of protein |
| Respiration (breathing) and Circulation of oxygen | Spiracles (9 pairs in butterflies) are pores open to the air and tracheae (air tubes) carry air through the body. Gas exchange occurs at the tiny ends of the tracheae. A very inefficient system which limits the size of butterflies. Spiracles are located on the abdomen and thorax. |
| Circulation of oxygen | Tracheae |
| Circulation of blood (for nourishment, not oxygen) | A long, tubular heart (dorsal vessel) and hemocoel |
| Digestive System | Proboscis, pharynx, foregut (the crop), midgut, hindgut, and anus |
| Storage of food energy | Fat body |
| Excretion of wastes | Malpighian tubules, long filaments which clean the blood and put the waste (urine) into the hindgut (rectum) |
| Nervous system | Brain, ventral nerve cord, ganglia, peripheral nervous system (PNS) and visceral nerves. |
| Sense of balance (especially while flying) | Johnston's organ (located at the base of the antennae). |
| Reproduction | Ovaries (female) and testes (male) |
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