The word butterfly is generally thought to originate from "butter colored fly" or "butter thief". In the UK and Europe, the first butterflies to come out of hibernation were a light yellow, which may be the idea behind "butter fly". However the German word for butterfly is milchdieb, meaning "milk thief" which may be an old farming moniker for their habit of landing in pools or buckets of milk for a drink. Interestingly, there was a trend during the Victorian Era in which people referred to butterflies as "flutter byes". The nickname didn't stick around for very long, just long enough for some in the 20th century to mistakenly assume "flutter byes" was the origin of "butterfly".
Perhaps the most famous butterfly of all is the iconic Monarch butterfly. Their distinct black and orange coloring, and large numbers make them easy to spot and strikingly beautiful. Every year millions of Monarchs migrate more than 4000 miles from the Rocky Mountains in Canada, through the US and down to the magnificent Fir trees of Mexico. On the border of the Mexican state of Michoacan and Mexico State (Mexico City) there is the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve which covers 56,259 hectares. The reserve is directly in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt populated by a pine and oak forest ecosystem which is absolutely perfect for Monarch butterflies.
Entomologists estimate between 60 million and 1 billion butterflies migrate to the reserve each year. There are 14 major Monarch colonies in the forested areas, measuring about six to sixty million butterflies per hectare. However only eight of the colonies reside on the reserve, and just four are open to the public for visiting.
Another striking butterfly found in Mexico is the Swallowtail. There more than 550 species of Swallowtails. With the exception of Antarctica, they can be found on every continent. The most colorful specimens reside in tropical areas, and the Mexican Kite-Swallowtail is no exception. It can measure as much as six inches in length, with 'swallow' tails two to three inches long. They are white with black lines, subtle red markings, and long black antennae. The Dark Kite-Swallowtail is not much like the Mexican Kite-Swallowtail, despite the similar name. Its tails are much shorter, almost non-existent. Colors are dark, all black with a few red spots, and the body is larger than the white version. One unique trait the Swallowtails have is the placement of an organ on their heads, just behind the antennae. When the butterfly is threatened or squeezed, the organ emits an odor containing terpenes. So don't get too close!
These are just two species of butterflies found in Mexico, so stay tuned for part two of this series! We will take a look at more amazing beauties of the insect world, other butterfly reserves in Mexico and how to spot the most rare species.
Perhaps the most famous butterfly of all is the iconic Monarch butterfly. Their distinct black and orange coloring, and large numbers make them easy to spot and strikingly beautiful. Every year millions of Monarchs migrate more than 4000 miles from the Rocky Mountains in Canada, through the US and down to the magnificent Fir trees of Mexico. On the border of the Mexican state of Michoacan and Mexico State (Mexico City) there is the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve which covers 56,259 hectares. The reserve is directly in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt populated by a pine and oak forest ecosystem which is absolutely perfect for Monarch butterflies.
Entomologists estimate between 60 million and 1 billion butterflies migrate to the reserve each year. There are 14 major Monarch colonies in the forested areas, measuring about six to sixty million butterflies per hectare. However only eight of the colonies reside on the reserve, and just four are open to the public for visiting.
Another striking butterfly found in Mexico is the Swallowtail. There more than 550 species of Swallowtails. With the exception of Antarctica, they can be found on every continent. The most colorful specimens reside in tropical areas, and the Mexican Kite-Swallowtail is no exception. It can measure as much as six inches in length, with 'swallow' tails two to three inches long. They are white with black lines, subtle red markings, and long black antennae. The Dark Kite-Swallowtail is not much like the Mexican Kite-Swallowtail, despite the similar name. Its tails are much shorter, almost non-existent. Colors are dark, all black with a few red spots, and the body is larger than the white version. One unique trait the Swallowtails have is the placement of an organ on their heads, just behind the antennae. When the butterfly is threatened or squeezed, the organ emits an odor containing terpenes. So don't get too close!
These are just two species of butterflies found in Mexico, so stay tuned for part two of this series! We will take a look at more amazing beauties of the insect world, other butterfly reserves in Mexico and how to spot the most rare species.
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