Animals
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Contents

Life in the Forest

Life in the River

The Insect World

Related Internet Sites

Butterflies

Information about Amazon butterflies, plus link to Ariau gallery.

The wings of insects are pieces of the exoskeleton that are pulled out into very thin, flat sheets and are strengthened by fine tubes of veins. They are therefore very different from the wings of the two other groups of animals that exhibit true flight – the bats and birds. In the case of birds, it is the entire front limb that is used, whilst in that of bats, the fingers are extended with a leathery skin joining the thin finger bones.
  The insect wing thus has not developed by replacing other limbs, but merely by extending part of the shell. Most flying insects have two pairs of wings.
. . .
   Butterflies and moths have wings that are covered in scales which overlap one another in a similar fashion to roof tiles. When touched, these scales are very easily rubbed off.