Butterflies of the World NEW

This is a paid Adult School class. Click here to register.

Everybody loves butterflies. They are graceful and delicate, diverse and delightful, small but generally approachable, and they bring us to the sunny side of life. No wonder that over many centuries they have been associated with freedom, beauty and the human soul.

Yet, surprisingly, these lovely creatures somehow escape public notice; they are everywhere but live secret lives. How many species of butterflies are there in the world, in the U.S., in New Jersey? How do you tell them apart from moths? When and where can you see them? How long do they live? How do they interact with plants and other animals in their natural habitats? Why are they so important for a healthy environment?

In this three-session course, we will try to answer such questions as we learn about the butterflies that live in New Jersey, in North, Central and South America, and finally in Eurasia, Africa to Australia. Our discussion will be accompanied by slides showing the photographs of many butterflies in their natural habitats. In the process we will also learn about some interesting and fun facts about their life histories and behavior, including migration, mudpuddling, hilltopping, mate-finding, feeding, and defense mechanisms such as camouflage, disruptive coloration, mimicry and false head.