Butterflies
![Butterflies](/TamesideMBC/media/culture/butterflies1_1.jpg)
Today there is much more emphasis on conservation - in 2019 a UN panel on biodiversity showed that 1 million species were threatened with extinction most of which were insects including butterflies. There are 20,000 species of butterflies in the world but the greatest risk is loss of habitat.
![Butterflies](/TamesideMBC/media/culture/butterflies3.jpg)
Did you know the following interesting facts about butterflies?
***Butterfly wings are transparent underneath thousands of scales which reflect light in different colours
***Butterflies taste with their feet! A female butterfly will land on a plant and drum the leaves with her feet until the plant releases juice. When she finds the right plant she will lay her eggs.
***Butterflies can only eat liquids which is usually nectar. They have a tongue known as a ‘proboscis’ which acts like a drinking straw and stays curled up under the butterflies chin until it finds a meal