Morphological Adaptations of a Painted Lady ButterflyBy Bailey Bowers, Dan Krajewski, and Michael Ang

What is a Morphological Adaptation? Morphology is the study of

the form or structure of a living thing.

Here are some examples of morphological adaptations for a Painted Lady Butterfly Butterfly Wings

A caterpillar is worm-like

Butterflies can lay eggs

The legs on a caterpillar go away

Caterpillars shed their skin

The Egg Stage

Hard-ridged outer layer of shell

Its called a chorion

They are lined with a thin coating of wax

Prevents eggs from drying out

Micropyles holes that let sperm in

The Larva Stage

Tentacles: a pair of thin movable organs on the caterpillar used for touching/feeling.

Thoracic Legs: Used for holding food, jointed legs with hooks

Spiracles: Holes in the caterpillars side that it breathes through

Prolegs: Stumpy Legs

Disadvantage: Very Big Eater, stays near plant where it was hatched, limited movement

The Pupa Stage

Cremaster: Used to attach end of butterfly ‘s pupa to a twig or other structure. Series of small hooks or a just a single larger hook, hooks to a silk pad

Chrysalis: Protective shell that caterpillar goes into for its transformation into a butterfly.

Disadvantage: cannot move very vulnerable.

Adult Butterflies

Four wings covered with tiny scales

Fore wing and hind wing not hooked together for more graceful flight

Six legs, Jointed legs help it walk

Feet can stick to surfaces allowing to climb walls and stick on ceilings

Eat nectar through proboscis

Proboscis is hollow tube that can roll into the head

Compound eye gives them multiple visual receptors so the can see more things

The butterfly needs to pump blood to its wings to “inflate them” before it can fly so it is vulnerable to predators

Bibliography (Websites) "Butterfly & Caterpillar." Thematic Units. The Teachers Corner,

2011. Web. 08 Sept. 2011. <http://thematicunits.theteacherscorner.net/insect3.php>.

"Dictionary." Google. Google. Web. 08 Sept. 2011. <http://www.google.com/search?hl=en>.

"Insect Wing." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 08 Sept. 2011.<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insect_wing>.

Enchanted Learning. Web. 8 Sept. 2011. <http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/butterflies/anatomy/Wings.shtml>.

Bibliography (Pictures)

Painted Lady Butterfly - Vanessa Cardui. Photograph. North American Insects and Spiders / Tree Encyclopedia. Web. 08 Sept. 2011. <http://www.cirrusimage.com/butterfly_painted_lady.htm>.

"Painted Lady Butterfly; Vanessa Cardui." Butterfly Fun Facts -Educational Information about Butterflies and Moths. Web. 08 Sept. 2011.<http://www.butterflyfunfacts.com/paintedlady.php>.

Delta Education Product Search. Photograph. Inquiry-based Hands-on Science Curriculum Kits, Resources, and Supplies - Delta Education. 2011. Web. 08 Sept. 2011. <http://www.delta-education.com/productdetail.aspx?Collection=N>.

Painted Lady Butterfly Chrysalis Photo - 10kzoomfz Photos at Pbase.com. Photograph.PBase.com. Web. 08 Sept. 2011. <http://www.pbase.com/image/103730565>.

Photograph. Enchanted Learning. Web. 8 Sept. 2011.

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