Butterflies taste primarily with their feet, which are covered in tiny sensory organelles. Many can also taste with their proboscis — an elongated part of the mouth — but the feet are the primary means of taste. Being able to taste with their feet allows butterflies to taste a flower as soon as they land on it.
More facts about butterflies:
- Butterflies have very long tongues. Many butterflies have tongues that are as long as their bodies, and one type of moth has a tongue that is three times the length of its body.
- Female butterflies are often larger than male butterflies.
- There are about 115,000 known species of butterflies and moths.