Butterfly Exhibit: Virtual Field Trip

Butterfly Vocabulary

Insect: A small invertebrate that has wings and six legs

Invertebrate: An animal that doesn’t have a backbone

Native: An animal or plant that is naturally occurring in an area

Exotic: An animal or plant that is not naturally occurring in an area

Lifecycle: A series of changes in the life of an organism

Larva: The immature form of an insect (like a caterpillar)

Host Plant: The plant that the larva (caterpillar) eats

Pupa: The form of an insect in its lifecycle between larva and adult insect

Chrysalis: The pupa of a butterfly

Cocoon: The silky protective case around the pupa of a moth

Metamorphosis: The transformation from the immature stage of an insect (larva/caterpillar) to the adult stage (butterfly/moth)

Emerge: To move out of something

Emergence Room: The safe area where pupa are kept until they emerge

Pest: An insect or animal that harms plants or animals

Nocturnal: Active at night

Proboscis: A long sucking mouth part of an insect

Migration: A seasonal movement of animals from one area to another

Nectar: A sweet liquid made by plants to encourage pollination by animals or insects

Pollinate: To move a plant’s pollen to a different flower, or part of a flower, so the plant can be fertilized and create fruit and seeds