Fun Ulysses Butterfly Facts For Kids

Ulysses butterfly (Papilio ulysses) is a swallowtail butterfly. It is also known as blue mountain. It is found in Australia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and the Solomon Islands.

They are a symbol of Australia’s tropical coastal lifestyle. There are 16 subspecies as known till now of the Ulysses butterfly. They have a long swallowtail.

They are famous for their dance in a morse code fashion delivered as per their mood. It is used as a tool by the butterfly to confuse the predators.

The better they dance, the more possible it is for them to breed and live. They do this for two to four weeks, after which their wings tire out and the Ulysses butterfly life cycle comes to an end. They are known to be frantic flyers.

They are generally found in tropical rainforests and suburban areas. They are not extinct as of now but are not in very large numbers hence, some conservation efforts are needed to be undertaken.

This article include Ulysses butterfly facts for kids, Ulysses butterfly life span, Ulysses butterfly wingspan, and such interesting information.

You may also check out the fact files on red admiral butterfly and painted lady butterfly from Kidadl.

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Ulysses Butterfly Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Ulysses butterfly?

Ulysses butterfly (Papilio ulysses) is a type of butterfly, which is an arthropod.

What class of animal does a Ulysses butterfly belong to?

Ulysses butterfly (Papilio ulysses) is a type of insect.

How many Ulysses butterflies are there in the world?

An accurate count is not available.

Where does a Ulysses butterfly live?

The Ulysses butterfly has a major chunk of its population located in Australia. It inhabits a part of eastern Queensland, which is in north-eastern Australia.

Apart from this, it is also found in the Moluccas, the north-western Solomon Islands, Bismarck Archipelago and New Guinea. Many people might mistake a species to be similar to Ulysses butterfly, found in New Caledonia. But, in New Caledonia, the species is similar to the Ulysses and is called Papilio montrouzieri.

Apart from this the Ulysses butterfly is also found in Indonesia, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.

What is a Ulysses butterfly's habitat?

The Ulysses butterfly is found mostly in Australia (largely in Queensland), Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Ulysses butterfly habitat is considered to be the areas of tropical rainforests and the suburban gardens.

Who do Ulysses butterflies live with?

The blue Ulysses butterfly is mostly a solitary creature. But, when it migrates it can travel in massive packs.

How long does a Ulysses butterfly live?

The Ulysses butterfly lifespan is about four weeks.

How do they reproduce?

Ulysses butterflies mate like most other varieties of butterflies. The breeding and courtship process involves aerial activity and pheromones.

Male Ulysses butterflies tend to perch on blue colored objects in the hope of finding the female. Copulation occurs from tail to tail and may last for over an hour. The photoreceptor cells in the genitals of the butterflies are important for mating.

The male Ulysses butterfly’s spermatophore is released into the female. The male may also cover the female with his scent to avoid other males from mating with her. The female Ulysses butterfly lays her eggs on small trees and plants.

The Ulysses butterfly eggs are as many as 15 per brood, and there might be several broods in a reproductive cycle of a Ulysses butterfly. There are about 50 percent male caterpillars and 50 percent female caterpillars.

What is their conservation status?

The Ulysses butterfly are considered Not Extinct as per the conservation status.

Breeders require permits by the Australian government but the species are not endangered. In the past, to increase the numbers of butterflies the planting of pink flower doughwood has been increased.

By growing the doughwood, these butterflies will definitely increase in numbers due to increased Ulysses butterfly adaptations. The decreasing number of Euodia trees has been a cause for concern. This tree is used by the butterflies for laying their eggs and their caterpillars feed on its leaves.

Thus, without this tree, the Ulysses butterfly may not be able to survive. Trees up to two meters tall are preferred by the females to lay their eggs. According to a 2016 report, the Ulysses butterfly was in extremely low numbers in an Australian Sanctuary.

The problem was in breeding the caterpillars for whom it was difficult to survive. In Australia they are found in larger numbers in Queensland.

Ulysses Butterfly Fun Facts

What do Ulysses butterflies look like?

It is a beautiful bright blue butterfly. Its color is described to be electric blue. It has a long swallowtail.

The upper part of the wings looks iridescent blue while the lower part seems more of black and brown. They are also called 'blue mountain' due to their extraordinary blue color especially on their wings. The Ulysses Butterfly caterpillar is green in color.

How cute are they?

The blue and black Ulysses butterflies are beautiful insects. They can be called cute, but to people who do not prefer insects, they might not be very appealing. The color of their wings makes them an attractive sight. Their wings are colored blue with shades of black brown.

How do they communicate?

They communicate through pheromones and also by flapping their wings.

How big is a Ulysses butterfly?

A Ulysses butterfly weighs only 0.017 oz (0.5 grams). It is of the same weight and size as that of any other butterfly, like the monarch or other varieties of swallowtail.

How fast can Ulysses butterflies fly?

The flight speed of an Ulysses butterfly has not been recorded yet.

How much does a Ulysses butterfly weigh?

A Ulysses Butterfly weighs about 0.017 oz (0.50 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

Both males and females of the species are called Ulysses butterflies.

What would you call a baby Ulysses butterfly?

Upon hatching, the young ones of the Ulysses butterfly are called caterpillars. They develop into larvae, and when they metamorphosize into baby butterflies, they are called nymphs.

What do they eat?

The most liked food of the Ulysses larvae are the food plants known as the melicope elleryana (euodia). The tree is very attractive, full of flowers and leafy.

It is a sight to behold with clusters of small pink flowers growing out of different branches of the plants. Green caterpillars are known to feed solitarily, with one on each of the plants. They rest on a silk pad of plants’ leaves when they are not eating.

The Ulysses butterfly diet are includes plants kerosene wood which are a variety of citrus. They also feed on the pink flowered doughwood, which are food plants with pink flowers. They also feed on the ixora shrubs in the backyards of the suburbs.

Are they dangerous?

No, they are not dangerous.

Would they make a good pet?

There is no clear information about keeping Ulysses butterflies as pets, due to their rare availability. But they can be attracted to the backyards and gardens.

Did you know...

Queensland, Australia uses the Ulysses butterfly as it's emblem for tourism.

The Ulysses butterfly gets its name from the Greek hero Odysseus, whose Roman name was Ulysses. Papilio montrouzieri, also called the Montrouzier’s Ulysses, is a relative of the Ulysses butterfly found in New Caledonia.

Why is it called Ulysses butterfly?

The Ulysses Butterfly got its name from the Greek legends. Ulysses was the Greek hero of the epic Odyssey written by Homer and its central character. The Greek word is Odysseus for the Roman Ulysses. This butterfly is very attractive due to the striking blue colors of their wings.

What is the Ulysses butterfly predators?

Predators of the Ulysses butterfly are birds, snakes, flying foxes and frogs who find them due to their bright blue and black brown wings.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these morpho butterfly facts and viceroy butterfly facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our butterfly mandala coloring pages.

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