California dogface
The California dogface is a yellow and black butterfly found only in California. On the boy's front wings, the yellow-orange patch inside the black edge looks a bit like the head of a dog. It flies so fast that it is very hard to take a photo of it with its wings open.
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Fun facts
It has been California's state insect since 1972, and California was the first state to choose one.
A class of fourth graders helped make it the state insect.
The boy's front wings shine with patterns that we cannot see, but other butterflies can.
In the morning the boys start flying around 7 o'clock, and the girls take off an hour or two later.
The caterpillar and chrysalis are greenish yellow, just like the plant they live on, so they are well hidden.
Most asked questions about California dogface
?Why is it called the dogface butterfly?
The yellow-orange pattern on the boy's front wings looks a bit like a dog's head.
?What is California's state insect?
The California dogface butterfly. It has been the state insect since 1972.
?How big is the California dogface?
Its wings are about 5 to 6,3 centimetres across.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Zerene eurydice
- Group
- Butterflies
- Family
- Pieridae
- Classification
- Insecta > Lepidoptera > Pieridae
- Lives on
- North America
- Also known as
- California dogface butterfly
Where the facts come from
- Zerene eurydice (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
- Picture by License Holder: Unspecified; likely: Colorado State University. CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons. The round sticker of this bug is cut from the same picture.
If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
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