The Badge Archive

Quick Butterfly Facts

Fulfills Step 1 of GSUSA Bugs badge requirements.

Info Needed for Badge Requirements – See Below

Items Needed:

  • Pen or pencil for each scout or small group.
  • Printed butterfly diagram with blank labels for each scout or small group.
  • (Optional) Short bug fact sheet
  • (Optional) Troop Coloring supplies (crayons, markers, or colored pencils)

Instructions (Total Time: 6–11 Minutes):

  1. Quick Butterfly Facts (2–3 minutes)
    • Leader shares a few simple facts (see below)
  2. Label the Diagram (4–5 minutes)
    • Scouts label parts on the butterfly diagram. Scouts can work individually or in small groups with help as needed.
  3. (Optional) Add Color and a Fun Fact (2–3 minutes)
    • Scouts color their butterfly and write one fun fact they learned.

Info Required for Requirement 1 – Butterflies

Where Butterflies Live
Butterflies live all over the world: gardens, meadows, forests, wetlands, and even deserts. They prefer sunny places with flowers and plants.

How Long Butterflies Live
Most butterflies live 1 to 4 weeks as adults. Some special types, like monarchs, can live up to 9 months during migration.

What Butterflies Eat
Butterflies drink nectar from flowers using a long straw-like tongue called a proboscis. Some also sip water or minerals from puddles.

What’s Good About Butterflies

  • Helps pollinate flowers and plants
  • Adds beauty to nature
  • Shows ecosystems are healthy
  • Fun to watch and learn about

What’s Not So Good About Butterflies

  • Wings are delicate and can be damaged easily
  • Some species are sensitive to pollution and habitat loss
  • They can’t fly when it’s too cold

Who Their Enemies Are
Birds, spiders, frogs, lizards, wasps, and even other insects

Main Parts of a Butterfly

  • Head – The front part with eyes, mouth, and antennae
  • Antennae – Two feelers that help the butterfly smell and sense movement
  • Eyes – Big eyes that help them see light and color
  • Proboscis – A long, curled-up straw used to drink nectar from flowers
  • Thorax – The middle part where the legs and wings are attached
  • Legs – Butterflies have six legs used for walking and tasting
  • Wings – Two pairs (front and back) that help them fly and show off colors
  • Abdomen – The back part that holds the stomach and breathing holes
  • Spiracles – Tiny holes on the sides of the abdomen that help them breathe

Note to Leaders – You can learn more about butterflies with a mini lesson

Resources:

  • Butterflies: Facts, Characteristics, Behavior, Diet. 25 Oct. 2022, animalvivid.com/animals/invertebrates/arthropods/butterflies/. Accessed 10 July 2025.
  • “Butterfly Food Chain: Ecology & Life Cycles.” ButterflyBoogie.com, 5 Feb. 2024, butterflyboogie.com/butterfly-food-chain-ecology-life-cycles/. Accessed 10 July 2025.
  • “Butterfly – Information (Facts + Habitat + Diet) – Science4Fun.” Science4fun.info, 7 May 2017, science4fun.info/butterfly/. Accessed 10 July 2025.
Tia Kennard