Butterflies fly, but not in the usual way!

This is a picture of a colourful butterfly.

And below is the picture of a kaleidoscope of butterflies which is what you call a group of butterflies. You can refer to the  collective noun for animals and birds to know more about these usages.

Photo credit: Giphy

Noticed something unusual?

Take a second look and observe how they fly. They have an erratic fluttering pattern which is unique and is usually not seen in any other birds or insects. This means that they do not follow a particular flying pattern, and can take off real swiftly, making it very difficult for their predators to hunt them. Remember how difficult it is to catch a butterfly by its wings!

Photo credit: Giphy

Now, what makes them unique? Well, it is not as simple as you might have thought! For instance, they have really big wings considering the size of their bodies. New research says that butterflies don’t require such large wings to fly and can easily fly with half of their wings missing! So why did their wings evolve to this size?

Also Read : What is the difference between a butterfly and a moth?

Cracking the mystery 

Scientists have been studying butterflies and their flying patterns for a long time, wondering the real reason behind their erratic fluttering. They cracked that mystery very recently when they observed their wings using powerful high-speed video cameras and a wind tunnel. They noticed that the way butterflies flap their wings to balance their body in the air or take a fight is very different from any other insects.

Proving an old theory!

Biologists from Sweden’s Lund University set out to prove a 50-year-old theory that butterflies ‘clap’ their wings together, pushing out the trapped air to create a jet. This helps them to push their body in the opposite direction.

They studied free-flying butterflies, and while analysing their aerodynamics, found that their wings form a cupped shape (more like a slanted figure eight) during the upstroke, and then ‘clap’, thrusting the butterfly forward. Meanwhile, the downstroke helps with weight support.

They also noticed that instead of slamming together, as two flat surfaces, their wings bend to create a ‘pocket shape’, which would capture more air, and improve propulsion. They found that the force of the clap was further increased by the flexibility of the wings, improving the efficiency of the wingbeat by 28% – a pretty good improvement for flying insects.

Pretty clever, right?

Dr Per Henningsson, a biology researcher who studied the butterflies’ aerodynamics, said, “Our measurements show that the impulse created by the flexible wings is 22% higher and the efficiency 28% better compared to if the wings had been rigid.” His team published their findings in the Journal of the Royal Society on 20 January 2021.

Who knew that these flights of butterflies fluttering their colourful wings through sunny mellows would hold so many mysteries. Will you study more about the flying pattern of butterflies and moths after reading this article? Tell us about your findings in the comments below.

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