The

Family
Butterfly
Book
Activity Kit


In this kit you will find:
1. Who Am I? A quiz to identify certain backyard butterflies
2. Did You Know? Informative, fun facts about butterflies
3. Butterfly Banter. A word search game
4. A Butterfly Quiz that will make you a butterfly whiz
5. A Butterfly Bookmark to color and cut out
Download this booklet at www.storeybooks.com
Everyone enjoys seeing butterflies flitting about on a summer day, but few realize that many species
are endangered. Without help, nine out of ten caterpillars won’t survive to become butterflies. The
"grandfather of butterfly farming," Rick Mikula, wants to improve these odds. In The Family
Butterfly Book, Rick shares his vast knowledge, contagious enthusiasm, and deep respect for these
fascinating creatures.
Rick explains how to attract, catch, handle, raise, and support butterflies, and how to make habitats
for butterflies that include basking sites, water sources, and shelter. You will also learn how to:
• hand-feed a butterfly
• make Christmas tree decorations using chrysalises
• build inexpensive, how-to projects, such as a caterpillar-rearing container
• photograph butterflies like a professional
• identify butterflies in your own backyard with the
40-page identification guide, complete with neverbefore-published photographs and illustrations
This activity kit is an introduction to learning
more about butterflies and is designed to
be as fun as it is informative. Dolly

Parton was so inspired by the subject
that she wrote a song proclaiming “love
is like a butterfly, a rare and gentle
thing.” We hope that these activities
will help you learn more about butterflies and help guarantee the future
survival of these “rare and gentle”
things. Try raising your own butterflies. You’ll be surprised how easy it is.
Good luck!


Whho Am
mI

?

North America, our beautiful butterflies
Below are descriptions of butterflies you might find if you wandered across North America from
sea to shining sea. Find the answers to these questions below and in chapter 5 of The Family
Butterfly Book.

6.
7.

I have orange and black wings, and I am the most widely known butterfly in North
America. I am also well known for my famous migration to Mexico. I am very
particular about where I lay my eggs. Only milkweed will do, because it is the
only food my caterpillar will eat. Who am I?
I’m easy to identify because of the large ocelli (pretend eyes) on my wings. You’ll find me
throughout the United States and most of Canada during the summer months, but come
winter, I head south in migratory flocks. Who am I?

I love to wake from a long winter’s nap to feast on violet petals. I can have a wingspan of
nearly 4 inches, though I normally average 3. The color of my wings is a blend of oranges,
sienna, and burnt umbers, and you’ll always find silvery spots on my hind wing. Who am I?
I may be small (wingspan average is 1¼ inches), but I’m easy to find in meadows and
gardens. Look for my orange wings with black patches and zigzags. If you want to hunt
for my eggs, aster leaves are the place to look. Who am I?

5. Buckeye

5.

I am unusual in that I am communal; my larvae are quite happy to feed in groups.
I like rotting fruit and mud. You can find me throughout North America. Who am I?

4. Monarch

3.
4.

I lay my eggs only on the pawpaw plant. As you might guess from my name,
I am white with black stripes, but I also have red dots, blue dots, and even a
scarlet stripe. Fans say I look exceptionally beautiful when I fly. Who am I?

3. Mourning Cloak

2.

You’ll find me in the Gulf States, the Midwest, and even Canada. My favorite food is citrus
leaves. My wingspan averages 4½ – 6 inches. My black forewings are lined with two rows of
yellow spots. Who am I?


Answers: 1. Giant Swallowtail 2. Zebra Swallowtail
6. Great Spangled Fritillary 7. Pearly Crescentspot

1.


D I D

Y O U

?

K N O W ?

Winter Survival Strategies

Butterflies living in less-than-tropical areas spend the winters in various forms of
development. Depending on their species, they may wait out the colder months as
eggs, caterpillars, chrysalises, or adult butterflies, hiding under loose bark on trees,
fallen logs, or even the eaves of your house. Frequently, they will adopt an evergreen
tree or a pile of firewood as “housing.”

D I D

Y O U

Check Out All the Colo
rs


?

K N O W ?

Butterflies have definite
favorites when it comes
to
color. Purple and yellow
are the preferred flower
colors, followed by white
and blue, and then red.
The ideal garden should
incorporate the colors th
at
butterflies like the best
.

D I D

Y O U

?

K N O W ?

A Breath of Fresh Air

Butterflies and caterpillars don’t breathe
through their mouths. They use holes
in the sides of their abdomens called

spiracles. These openings are connected
to a system of tracheae that deliver
oxygen in the same way our lungs do.

D I D

Y O U

?

W ?
K N O

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stage


BUTTERFLY BANTER
If you want to become a butterfly enthusiast (or expert), you’ll find yourself using some
beautiful butterfly vocabulary. Get a head start on learning and using butterfly terms by
circling the hidden words in the word search below. You’ll find all these words and more in
The Family Butterfly Book by Rick Mikula.

MIGRATION
EGGS
SKIPPER
WINGS
CATERPILLAR
HOST

A
C
R
D
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B
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BUTTERFLY
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GARDEN
HABITAT
SWALLOWTAIL

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ANTENNAE
MONARCH
LEPIDOPTERA
STAGES

LARVAE

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Take this quiz and find out if you are a butterfly whiz!

1. The cool way to refer to butterflies is:
a) margarine flies
b) bee flies
c) leps
one of the following two states has more species of butterflies?
2. Which
a) Hawaii
b) Alaska

3. A monarch caterpillar can be as long as:
a) 1 inch
b) 2 inches
c) 4 inches


4. How many legs do adult butterflies have?
a) two legs
b) four legs
c) six legs

5. Butterflies cannot fly if the temperature is:
a) below 50 degrees Farenheit
b) below 60 degrees Farenheit
c) below 70 degrees Farenheit

6. Approximately how many species of butterflies live in the United States and Canada?
a) 780
b) 1200
c) 5000

7. Butterflies are most attracted to the color(s):
a) purple and yellow
b) red
c) black and white

8. A caterpillar’s first food is usually:
a) a leaf
b) its own eggshell
c) a flower petal

9. Butterflies breathe through the holes on the sides of their abdomen, which are called:
a) tracheae
b) spiracles
c) antennae


10. Water will damage the wings of butterflies.
a) True
b) False

11. In the United States, the greatest threat to the survival of butterflies is:
a) pollution
b) birds
c) urban sprawl
Answers: 1. C

2. B

3. B

4. C

5. B

6. A

7. A

8. B

9. B

10. B

11. C


Butterfly Quiz

How well do you know butterflies?


Buutttterrffly BBookm
B
marrk

Directions:
1. Color in the butterfly.
2. Paste this sheet on cardboard or heavy
paper, and carefully cut on the dashed
line (ask for help if you need it).

You will have a beautiful
butterfly bookmark!


• Make a butterfly net (see page 40)
• Grow a butterfly-friendly garden
(see Chapter 2)
And more!

• Feed a butterfly (see page 55)
• Build a hanging butterfly cage
(see pages 52-53)
• Make a caterpillar-rearing
container (see pages 48-49)


Below are six photographs showing the metamorphosis of a Monarch from caterpillar to
butterfly. Number the photos to show the correct sequence of the stages. Answers are
below or on page 58 of The Family Butterfly Book.

C

B

D

F
E

Answers: A=1

B=4

C=3

D=6

A

E=2

F=5

87 Marshall St., Suite 4, North Adams, MA 01247 www.storeybooks.com
Contact our Publicity Department at (413) 346-2185, or at


Storey Books grants permission to reproduce the information in this booklet (by electronic, mechanical, photocopying, etc.) for use by individuals or groups for educational and/or promotional purposes. © 2001 Storey Books

The Family Butterfly Book by Rick Mikula is a fun-filled source of butterfly projects for
families, students, and teachers alike that will teach you how to: