Butterflies look attractive; everybody wants to touch and hold these colorful flying insects. However, they are delicate and can die if handled harshly, as the wings and body parts can get damaged.
Does Touching Butterflies Kill Them? Touching butterflies does not kill them until you do not rub your hands on their wings and hold them harshly. Holding these colorful insects can cause scale shedding, weak or damaged wings, shorter lifespan than expected, disturbance and stress, and germs or pathogens transfer. Therefore, do not touch them and appreciate their beauty from a distance.
Some people capture them in jars and containers, but it can damage to their bodies and wings because they try to escape and collide with the solid glass walls of the container. Professionals recommend different methods to hold these beautiful insects safely if you love them.
Do butterflies die when you touch them?
You cannot kill a butterfly by a mere touch, as they are fragile but can withstand a light touch without problems.
They are not as weak as we think because they survive in different environments using many adaptations. They have layers of chitin and colorful scales act like a tile on the floor, allowing them to survive such situations.
They can withstand the ultraviolet rays from the sun and different factors around their habitat. Therefore, they do not die if you slightly touch them.
For example, I touched many butterflies in my flower garden, and not a single one of them died. However, it does not mean they do not die if you try to capture or hold them and rub their wings with your fingers.
What happens if you touch a butterfly?
You can cause many problems for these sensitive insects if you hold them. Therefore, entomologists and wildlife professionals recommend avoiding touching and watching them from a distance to prevent damage.
Scales shedding
They have thousands of scales on their wings and bodies, adding color and beauty to their overall appearance.
Touching them can cause scale shedding, and it causes disruption of the eyes-like pattern on their wings. These colorful scales or patterns can startle predators and camouflage in their surroundings.
They become more exposed to predators and cannot escape them, as predators attack them instantly to consume them.
Once, my friend told me that he tried to hold a butterfly, and the eyes-like scale patterns on its wings shed, and he felt a dusty substance on his fingers.
Moreover, the scales provide stability and strength to their wings, and the shedding of scales leads to many problems in their survival strategies.
Weaker or damaged wings
They have delicate wings, which are not meant to rub or hold. They use their wings to take high flights, find mates, and forage around their habitat.
My neighbor is an entomologist and had many species of these insects in captivity and in his flower garden.
I asked him what would happen if I tried to hold the butterflies in his garden because I love to pick them.
He said they will not die immediately if you slightly touch them but cause many problems if you hold them for a long time.
He further said that the scale shedding causes their wings to become weak and sometimes damages their flying tools, which leads to death.
He said I could touch the monarch butterfly in his garden because their wings are somewhat sturdier than other species.
He told me that the damaged wings and scale shedding cause difficulties for monarch butterflies to cover larger distances during their migrations in winter.
Shorter lifespan than expected
The scales on their wings help them provide strength, and they overcome various challenges by escaping or hiding from the threat.
However, their lifespan shortens if you hold them harshly or if a large number of scales are shed from their wings.
For example, the butterfly with more scales and colorful patterns lives longer and more chances to protect itself than the one with missing wings and scales.
Disturbance and stress
They get stressed if slight changes in their habitat occur and if humans approach them because they do not like to be touched or around different organisms.
The disturbance that humans cause around their habitat when trying to catch them leads to stress and anxious behavior.
They flutter their wings randomly and repeatedly, which causes them to break or damage. Moreover, stress is not safe for the overall well-being of these insects.
Once, I tried to touch a small butterfly in my yard while reading a book, and it suddenly appeared on the table.
It showed an abrupt behavior to escape as soon as I touched it from the tip of its wings.
I released it instantly and did not try to hold them again because I did not want an innocent to die from stress and fear, as it is inhumane.
Pathogens and germs transfer
Many germs and pathogens present on our hands may not harm us because we have high immunity, but they are not safe for butterflies.
These germs and pathogens can transfer from your hands to these innocent insects, and they become more exposed to diseases.
However, they carry diseases and parasites, but these parasites are not harmful to humans. The unhygienic conditions and dirty hands can cause problems for them.
Why do people think touching butterflies kills them?
People think holding them will break their wings, which is destructive for these fragile insects. However, it is a misconception built among people due to their sensitive nature.
There are also many myths related to them, and they are based on assumptions. Although wings are not as strong as many other insects, they can survive a light touch and careful handling.
They make these misconceptions based on their past experience when they try to hold a butterfly, and careless handling leads to the death of the species.
Moreover, the cultural myths and folklore also make people think they die if you hold them and you should not disturb them.
Therefore, do not hold them if you do not have experience handling and understanding their behavior.
How can you hold a butterfly without hurting it?
You can hold a butterfly without hurting or damaging it if you have experience dealing with these insects. My entomologist friend told me that you should never try to hold it between its wings and pinch on the body.
Moreover, he said it is better to avoid holding it from one wing or leg because it will try to flutter and can break the other wing in this struggle.
The right way to hold it is to close its wings gently and hold it lightly but with a firm touch behind the wing’s side.
You can also place your finger close to it and encourage it to crawl on your hand. It can spread its entire wings and sit on your finger comfortably.
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