RARE BUTTERFLY WITH MALE AND FEMALE WINGS

THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BUTTERFLY WERE WINGS TYPICAL OF A FEMALE, WHILE THE LEFT WERE MALE MARKINGS

MINI BELIEVE IT OR NOT –

In October of 2014, Drexel University found a rare gynandromorph butterfly – born with half male and half female wings.

• The right side of the butterfly were wings typical of a female, while the left were male markings
• The butterfly had a condition called gynandromorph, which means the insect had outwardly both male and female characteristics
• Gynandromorph is different from hermaphroditism which is when reproductive organs can have both male and female parts

MINI BION EXTRAS

• It takes three generations of monarch butterflies to complete their 2,500-mile migration—no butterfly making the journey has ever flown the entire route
• The mourning cloak butterfly is the only butterfly that actually hibernates instead of migrating for the winter
• The world’s largest butterfly farm, in coconut creek, fla., is home to 2,500 butterflies belonging to 80 different species
• The sea butterfly isn’t a butterfly it is a winged snail

MINI BION

“BIONs” – short for Believe It or Not – is the word we use at Ripley’s to refer to anything that is unbelievable and worthy to become part of Ripley’s lore and collection.