Glossary

A reference guide to terms used throughout the Colorado Front Range Butterflies website.

A

Abdomen –  The back section of an adult butterfly or caterpillar's body.  The last nine segments of a caterpillar's body make up its abdomen.

Above — On the upper side of the butterfly or wing.

Alba Form – White-colored genetic variant in wings.

Antenna – A sense organ on the head of an insect.  The plural form of the word is antennae (an-TEN-ee).

B

Band – An elongated section on the wings with parallel or roughly parallel sides that is wider than a line.

Bar – A short rectangular mark on the wings.

Base – The area of the wing closest to the butterfly's body.

Basking – Resting in sunlight to warm flight muscles.

Below — On the lower or underside of the butterfly or wing.

Brood – A single generation of a butterfly that develops and emerges during the same time period.

C

Caterpillar – The name for the larva of a butterfly or moth.

Cell – An area of each wing that is enclosed by veins.

Checkered – Alternating light and dark grid-like wing markings.

Chrysalis (CRIS-ah-lis) – The hard case that forms around the pupa of a butterfly.

Crochets (kro-SHAYS) – Curved spines or hooks on the prolegs of caterpillars.

Costa – The forward edge of the forewing and hindwing.

D

Diapause – An innate, controlled physiological state of suspended development or growth to survive predictable, unfavorable environmental conditions.

Dispersal – Movement of a butterfly away from the area where it emerged, often to find food, mates, or new habitat. A dispersing butterfly may not return to its original area.

Dorsal – The upper or top side of the butterfly.

E

Estivate – To enter a state of summer dormancy to survive periods of extreme heat, drought, and food scarcity.

Exoskeleton (eks-oh-SKEL-uh-tuhn) – The hard outer covering of an insect's body that protects and supports it.

Eyespot – A conspicuous, circular, ringed color marking on the wings that resembles an eye and is a key adaptation tied to anti-predator defense mechanisms.

F

Flight – The period when adult butterflies are active, including when they emerge, feed, mate, and fly.

Forewings – The front pair of a butterfly’s four wings.

Fringe – The edging of fine scales along the outermost margins of a butterfly’s wings.

H

Hibernate – To survive the winter in an inactive or dormant state, with greatly reduced activity and metabolism.

Hindwings – The back pair of a butterfly’s four wings.

Host Plant – A specific plant where a female butterfly lays her eggs and where her caterpillars feed after hatching.

I

Instar – A developmental state of a caterpillar between each shedding of its exoskeleton, or molt.

L

Larva – The second stage of metamorphosis, in which the butterfly is wingless and worm-like (a caterpillar).  The plural form of the word is larvae (LAR-vee).

Leading Edge – The front part of butterfly wings.

M

Margin – The outer edge of a butterfly's wing.

Median – The central area of the wing.

Migration – The regular, seasonal back and forth movement between breeding and wintering locations.

Metamorphosis (met-uh-MOR-fuh-sis) – The process of development that produces an adult butterfly.  During metamorphosis, the insect goes through four complete changes in form: egg, larva, pupa, adult.

Molting – Shedding an old exoskeleton to make way for a new one.

N

Nectar – A sweet substance produced by flowers that adult butterflies use as food.

O

Osmeterium (oz-meh-TER-ee-um) – An organ on the heads of swallowtail caterpillars that gives off an unpleasant odor.  It is used for defense against predators.

Outer Margin – The outer edge of the wing, farthest from the butterfly's body.

Overwinter – To survive the winter in a particular life stage, such as an egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, or adult.

P

Pheromones – Chemical scents released to communicate with other butterflies of the same species.

Pigment – A chemical molecule inside wing scales that absorbs certain wavelengths of light and reflects others, producing fixed colors.

Postmedian – The area of the wing just beyond the median area, toward the outer margin.

Predator – An animal that kills and eats another animal.

Proboscis (pro-BOSS-kiss) – A long, hollow, straw-like tube extending from the mouth of a butterfly, used to drink nectar and other liquids.

Prolegs – Stumpy legs located on the middle segments and the last segment of a caterpillar's body.

Protective coloring –Coloring on an insect's body that helps it to blend into its surroundings.

Pupa (PEW-puh) –    The third stage of metamorphosis, during which the larva changes into an adult butterfly.  The plural form of the word is pupae (PEW-pee).

Pupate – To change from a caterpillar into a pupa (chrysalis), the life stage in which the butterfly develops into an adult.

S

Scales – Tiny, overlapping structures that cover the wings and give butterflies their colors and patterns.

Spermatophore (sper-MAT-uh-fore) – A compact packet of sperm passed from a male butterfly's body to the female's body during mating.

Spinneret (spin-nuh-RET) – A tube through which silk emerges from a caterpillar's body.

Spiracles (SPEAR-uh-kuhls) – Breathing holes on an insect's body.

Spot Band – Made up of multiple connected or nearly connected spots on a wing.

Stigma – A specialized patch of scent-producing scales found on the wings of some male butterflies.

Submargin – The area of the wing just inside the outer margin.

Submedian – The area of the wing just beyond the base.

T

Tail – Elongated, extension on the rear edge of the hindwing.

Tarsi – The final segments of a butterfly’s legs (“feet”), lined with specialized nerve cells that allow the butterfly to “taste” the surface of plants.

Thorax – The middle section of an adult butterfly's body to which legs and wings are attached. The first three segments of a caterpillar's body make up its thorax.

U

Upper side - The top surface of the butterfly's wings. Also called the dorsal surface.

Underside - The lower surface of the butterfly's wings. Also called the ventral surface.

V

Veins – Narrow tubes that run through the wings and provide support. They also carry fluids and nerves within the wings.

Ventral – The lower or underside of the butterfly.

W

Wingspan – The distance from the tip of one fully opened wing to the tip of the other wing.