In my opinion there are probably more winged insects out there then butterflies and I’m willing to bet that there’s more than a few species that can be called “book lilies,” too. Butterflies, however, seem to be the most popular of all butterflies with their beautiful, colorful wings. And why not, when you look at it, what do you see?
Butterflies have two wings, a short, stubby one on the lower body and a longer, stronger forewing which protects the abdomen. These are actually not the only butterflies with tails, of course (read below). There might also be aerodynamic benefits of owning such long, tail-blown appendages; aerodynamics may explain the variation in wing spans among different species, for example. Or perhaps other purposes have not yet guessed at. But when you look at butterflies with tails, they all have the same shape and size and that is why they are called butterflies with tails.
When a butterfly approaches or flies away from its host plant, it extends its antennae and swings its tail. The antennae are strong, straight and point forward like the pointed end of a spear. In fact, when a butterfly swings its antennae and tail back and forth, the movement resembles a circular pattern. Butterflies also have “tubes” of hairs on their undersides called antennae. These are hollow tubes filled with air and contain odor receptors that help butterflies recognize plants by scent.
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