Main content

Nine fluttery facts about butterflies

1. Underworld connections

The meadow brown butterfly’s Latin name is Maniola or ‘little spirit from hell’. It has been represented as a demon in art.

Meadow brown - little spirit from the underworld

Peter Marren explains how the meadow brown butterfly was associated with dark places.

2. Body and soul

The Greek word psyche means both spirit and butterfly. The Greeks saw the two as intrinsically linked – the emergence of the butterfly from the cocoon was the soul ascending from the body.

Complete makeover

Life inside a chrysalis is the stuff of sci-fi as caterpillar turns into butterfly.

3. Net worth

Sir Winston Churchill was an avid collector of butterflies as a boy and as a young man. It was a very popular hobby at the time.

Golden birdwing butterflies 漏 The trustees of NHM, London

4. Milk thief

One explanation for the name ‘butterfly’ is that butterflies were attracted to milk and were seen as evil spirits trying to steal it.

5. Eye to eye

The eyes on some butterflies’ wings are designed to distract a predator. In mythology they were seen as either the ‘evil eye’ or something that was able to see our souls.

The 'great, staring eyes' of the peacock butterfly

Peter Marren says the peacock butterfly's eyes were once thought to be watching us.

6. Butterflies with bullet holes

Some collectors shot large butterflies out of the sky with shotguns filled with mustard seed. The unusual ammunition was used to limit the damage caused to the specimens.

The butterfly that was shot from the sky

Dr Blanca Huertas explains why this Queen Alexandra's birdwing butterfly was shot.

7. Fluttering away

In the UK, 70% of butterfly species are in decline.

Butterfly bounty

Slow motion of Britain's beautiful fluttering butterflies.

8. Mighty migrating monarchs

In one of the world’s greatest animal migrations, North American monarch butterflies fly 2,000 miles to hibernate.

9. The art of the butterfly

The Natural History Museum butterfly department is often visited by artists including Damien Hirst and Mat Colishaw who have used butterflies in their work, and designers studying the wings to develop clothing ideas, and paint for cars. .

Tranquility by Damien Hirst

Sources: Natural Histories, Natural World, Wonders of Life and 麻豆约拍 Science & Environment.

Butterflies

  • Natural Histories Comedy: The world's most narcissistic butterfly tells us all about herself.

  • How many British butterflies can you recognise? Try our quiz!

  • Peter Marren explains how the red admiral butterfly was once seen as sinister.

Sharks

  • Find out if you've got enough bite for shark life.

  • Ten reasons why Spielberg鈥檚 classic was so thrilling.

  • Professor John 脫 Maoilearca on the negative impact of Jaws on sharks and our perception of them.

  • The Nineties. Blur, Damien Hirst, the Groucho鈥� and the world鈥檚 most famous shark... It was ART, man.

Monkeys and Apes

  • Test your knowledge of monkeys and apes in the movies.

  • Mr A. Mandrill has had enough. He's trying to sue the entire human race.

  • Charlotte Uhlenbroek on primate variety and the difference between monkeys and apes.

  • Charlotte Uhlenbroek believes we have much to learn from our charismatic cousins.

Features