Life among the Butterflies

The butterfly has four wings, which are the largest and most conspicuous part of the insect. The wings consist of membranes stretched over horny tubes called veins; in the newly emerged insect the veins contain both blood and air, but the veins of the adult contain air only. The colors of the wing are due to minute scales which cover the membranes in an overlapping fashion like shingles on a roof. The scales vary considerably in size and form as well as in color, and the males of some...
More Description

The butterfly has four wings, which are the largest and most conspicuous part of the insect. The wings consist of membranes stretched over horny tubes called veins; in the newly emerged insect the veins contain both blood and air, but the veins of the adult contain air only. The colors of the wing are due to minute scales which cover the membranes in an overlapping fashion like shingles on a roof. The scales vary considerably in size and form as well as in color, and the males of some species bear specialized scales known as androconia, which produce odors attractive to the females. The third of the wing nearest the body is the base; the middle part of the wing is the median or discal area; the outer portion is called the limbal area. The front edge is the costal margin; the outer edge is the external margin; the posterior edge is known as the inner margin. The angle of the outer and inner margins of the front wings is called the outer angle, and the corresponding angle of the hind wings is the inner or anal angle. The outmost tip of the front wing is called the apex.