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Rach asked in Science & MathematicsZoology · 1 decade ago

if u touch a butterflies wings... will it kill them?

10 Answers

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    its not the touch that kills them its when you touch them to much and rub the powder off of their wings, without the powder they can't fly right and that is what kills them. small touches wont hurt though

    Source(s): by the way what looks like dust is actually scales
  • 1 decade ago

    Touching doesn't, directly, but it can cause them problems with flight that can kill them, particularly if you touch the wing hard enough to damage it.

    I learned about that from an entomologist when I was in like the 4th grade, because one of the kids thwapped a monarch and the teacher freaked out, thinking it could kill them. Butterflies are actually fairly tough, but it does make life hard on them if you touch the wings.

  • 1 decade ago

    Butterflies have a pattern of scales on their wings, just like human hair that runs from back to front. if you comb it the opposite way, you will notice that it gets curly. Same with butterflies. if you stroke their wing, may be they will be damaged, but no killed

  • Anonymous
    5 years ago

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    Don't touch it! They need to force the blood into their tiny little wings by using the muscles to beat their wings. If you try to do anything for it, you will kill it.

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  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    no

    i've seen presenters hold moths by the wings but i doubt it'll kill them

    the only thing that dies on touch is coral as far as i know

  • 1 decade ago

    most likely not. unless ur rough.

    but there's this superstition that went on with my family (maybe all Filipinos. idk) that if u touched a butterfly's wings and then rub your eyes, you would go blind! wierd, huh?

  • 1 decade ago

    is it that much of a hassle to just google something..

    http://animals.howstuffworks.com/insects/butterfly...

  • 1 decade ago

    Of course, no

  • 1 decade ago

    nope! except if you maltreat it of course!

  • 1 decade ago

    no

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