Frequently Asked Questions

How do butterflies fly? How fast?
  • Butterflies have strong muscles in their thorax which force their wings up and down on a fulcrum basis.


  • They go in a slanted figure 8 motion that propels them forward through the air in the same principle as an airplane.


  • Some fast-flying skippers can fly 30 mile per hour or faster.


  • Slow flying butterflies probably fly 5 mph or a little more.


  • During fall migration migrating Monarchs have been seen flying by tall buildings such as the Empire State Building at 1,000 plus feet.


  • Butterflies are sometimes picked up by storm fronts and moved 100's of miles, probably at altitudes of several thousand feet.
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