Frequently Asked Questions

How do butterflies get there color?
  • The colors may serve several purposes.


  • Colors are often used in courtship, so that male and female recognize each other as the correct species.


  • Certain color patterns may help the butterfly or moth blend into its background and be protected from birds or other would-be predators by "background resemblance."


  • Bright colors may also serve to warn birds or other predators that a particular butterfly, such as a Monarch, is bad tasting.


  • Other butterflies and moths, although perfectly edible, may have colors that "mimic" the bad-tasting species and thereby gain protection for themselves.
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