The Senses of Butterflies

Detailed information on the eyesight of butterflies:

• Butterflies carry proteins called cryptochrome that is sensitive to blue lights

• Butterflies can see magnetic fields, which is named magnetoception

• To butterflies, the sky is stripped because they see parabolic, which are the magnetic fields

• Most of the butterflies can see 4 colors. Some of them can see five or 5 and can see colors we can’t see

• Butterflies can see UV light, which can help them detect nectar

• Butterflies can perceive polarized light or light waves that move in only one direction

“What Life Is like for a Butterfly.” Anupam Katkar, Anupam Katkar, 28 Jan. 2016, anupamkatkar.com/2016/01/28/butterfly-intelligence-vision-senses/. Accessed 27 Nov. 2022.

Undetailed information on the senses of butterflies:

• touch

  • larvae

    • Touch through hairs that extend through sockets on the exoskeleton

    • Tactile setae are scattered evenly over the whole body

    • Have a variety of responses to touch, which may change over time

  • adult

    • Touch through hairs that extend through sockets on the exoskeleton

    • Tactile setae are scattered evenly over the whole body

    • Specialized setae and nerves can help them sense wind, gravity, and the position of the head, body, wings, legs, antennae, etc

• hearing

  • larvae

    • Perceive sound through tactile setae

    • Mainly respond to sudden noises (habituation)

  • adult

    • Sense sound through veins in their wings

• sight

  • larvae

    • Limited and poor

    • See the same range of light as adults

    • See with 12 ocelli

  • adult

    • See with thousands of ommatidia

    • See with compound eyes