Department of Energy Argonne National Laboratory Office of Science NEWTON's Homepage NEWTON's Homepage
NEWTON, Ask A Scientist!
NEWTON Home Page NEWTON Teachers Visit Our Archives Ask A Question How To Ask A Question Question of the Week Our Expert Scientists Volunteer at NEWTON! Frequently Asked Questions Referencing NEWTON About NEWTON About Ask A Scientist Education At Argonne Butterfly Wing Fluids 
Name: Carol
Status: N/A
Age: N/A
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: N/A
Question:
Is it true that a butterfly needs to push through the cocoon to release fluids into the wings so it can fly? There's an Internet story that if the butterfly doesn't struggle through a small opening of the cocoon the wings won't develop.

Replies:
I can find no reliable reference to this. Standard descriptions simply say the chrysalis splits open, and the butterfly crawls out, and then begins to pump bodily fluid into the wings to spread them.

J. Elliott

Click here to return to the Zoology Archives

NEWTON is an electronic community for Science, Math, and Computer Science K-12 Educators, sponsored and operated by Argonne National Laboratory's Educational Programs, Andrew Skipor, Ph.D., Head of Educational Programs.

For assistance with NEWTON contact a System Operator (help@newton.dep.anl.gov), or at Argonne's Educational Programs

NEWTON AND ASK A SCIENTIST
Educational Programs
Building 360
9700 S. Cass Ave.
Argonne, Illinois
60439-4845, USA
Update: June 2012
Weclome To Newton

Argonne National Laboratory