From Butterflies

from Butterflies

by Gloria G. Schlaepfer

Defense Camouflage 1 How do butterflies survive in a world where so many creatures see them as a meal? Butterflies cannot defend themselves by inflicting a painful bite, or by jabbing with a piercing stinger. But they are equipped with a wondrous array of spots on their wings. With them, butterflies can disappear into their surroundings, mimic a poisonous species, a leaf, or something else. Butterflies show off their bright wing colors to warn of poison and try to fool predators in many other ways. 2 Imagine a bird flying through the tropical rain forest, chasing a brilliant metallic-blue morpho, when suddenly the butterfly vanishes. It lands and closes its wings, so only the brown spotted undersurface is visible, and the morpho blends easily into the dense trees. The confused bird overlooks the brown leaf and continues to search for the blue butterfly. Camouflage has worked successfully for the morpho this time. At other times, the flashing of morpho's shiny wings surprises and frightens a would-be predator long enough for the butterfly to fly away. 3 The Indian leaf butterfly is a truly remarkable example of disguise. When it holds its wings upright and together, their shape and ashy brown color closely matches those of dead leaves. To complete the camouflage, a tail on its hind wing looks like a twig. The eye is fooled into thinking the butterfly is really a part of the tree. 4 The tropical owl butterfly has huge eyespots on the undersurface of its hind wings that look like owl eyes. Vertebrates recognize eyes as part of the butterfly's head, so the false eyes divert a would-be predator's attention away from the butterfly's vulnerable real head and body. It is better to lose part of a wing than risk being eaten altogether. Sometimes, the bold eyespots frighten birds momentarily, leaving the butterfly time to escape....

Warning Colors 5 Butterflies have another line of defense called aposematism, or warning coloration. Bright red, orange, and yellow are typical warning colors; the same colors we use in traffic signs and emergency vehicles. The colors advertise that the butterfly is not only distasteful but poisonous as well. Predators learn that color combinations such as black and red, black and yellow, or white and black are repulsive. 6 To become poison-laden, the larvae feed on toxic plants. For example, the caterpillars of tropical longwing butterflies...feed exclusively on poisonous passion vines, while the monarch and queen caterpillars eat only poisonous milkweeds. The larvae concentrate the poisonous chemicals in their bodies and pass them on to the adult's body and wings. Somehow, the chemicals do not harm the insects. 7 Birds that eat a poisonous butterfly immediately become ill and vomit. Usually once is enough, and the birds avoid any butterfly with similar colors and patterns, including edible butterflies.

Mimicry 8 While butterflies have a marvelous array of colors and patterns, some species imitate the unique pattern of another species, even from another family.... Some edible butterflies mimic poisonous ones. The resemblance is so close it is difficult to tell them apart, and the non-poisonous butterflies benefit from the deception....

Life Span 9 Even if a butterfly manages to escape its enemies, it lives for a relatively short time. The average life span for a non-hibernating butterfly is two to six weeks. But there are notable exceptions to that rule. 10 After leaving its chrysalis, the tiny spring azure mates, lays eggs the next day, and dies before the end of the third day. At the other end of the curve, migrating monarchs live seven to eight months before dying on the first leg of their return trip north in the spring. 11 We can only marvel at the complexities of a butterfly's life and life cycle, its adaptation, and its ability to survive in a harsh world.

1. Read the sentences from paragraph 1.

Butterflies cannot defend themselves by inflicting a painful bite, or by jabbing with a piercing

stinger. But they are equipped with a wondrous array of spots on their wings.

What does the author mean by the phrase "wondrous array"? RI 6.4

a. dangerous supply

c. marvelous display

b. limited option

d. vibrant history

2. How does the author first illustrate the concept that camouflage keeps butterflies hidden? RI 6.3 a. The author uses an anecdote about a confused bird trying to find a blue butterfly in brown leaves. b. The author compares a butterfly's warning colors to emergency vehicles. c. The author remarks on the butterfly's lack of defense mechanisms. d. The author mentions that some butterflies are colored to look poisonous when they are actually edible.

3. What does the author mean by the phrase "the eye is fooled" in paragraph 3? RI 6.4 a. The Indian leaf butterfly confuses predators with two sets of eyes on its back. b. Predators cannot tell the difference between camouflage and reality. c. Predators cannot see some butterflies in dense vegetation. d. The Indian leaf butterfly uses camouflage to see predators in the night.

4. What is the central idea of the "Defense Camouflage" section? RI 6.2 a. Butterflies are equipped with markings that help keep them safe from potential threats. b. Butterflies use the markings on their bodies to attack the predators they encounter. c. Birds are often the primary predators for a butterfly in the wild. d. The Indian leaf butterfly holds its wings to look like dead leaves in the forest.

5. How does paragraph 5 fit into the development of ideas in the passage? RI 6.5 a. Paragraph 5 gives details about how caterpillars eat but are not harmed by poisonous plants. b. Paragraph 5 mentions that butterflies need to be poisonous and camouflaged to be safe from predators. c. Paragraph 5 provides an example of a different type of defensive camouflage that some butterflies use. d. Paragraph 5 tells why traffic signs and emergency vehicles have bright colors.

6. Which choice is a claim made by the author in the passage? RI 6.8 a. Poisonous caterpillars will grow up to become nonpoisonous butterflies. b. The butterfly's predators are sometimes scared or surprised by its coloring. c. A bird's diet mainly consists of longwing butterflies. d. A butterfly can change its coloring to appear as a variety of species.

7. How do paragraphs 5-7 add to the development of the idea that butterflies defend themselves through warning coloration? RI 6.5 a. They give the scientific definition for aposematism. b. They give an explanation for the reason why birds avoid butterflies that look poisonous. c. They give information about which poisonous vines are eaten by caterpillars. d. They give examples of color combinations that are commonly found together on butterflies.

8. Read the sentences from paragraph 8.

Some edible butterflies mimic poisonous ones. The resemblance is so close it is difficult to tell them

apart, and the non-poisonous butterflies benefit from the deception....

Which word best replaces the word mimic? L6.4a

a. Avoid

c. Copy

b. Change

d. Trick

9. Part A: What is the author's point of view regarding butterflies? RI 6.6 a. Butterflies are extraordinary creatures that have adjusted to live in dangerous environments. b. Butterflies should live for longer than three days since they endure so much change. c. Butterflies are able to defend themselves by attacking predators. d. Butterflies are not in danger of being eaten as long as they are poisonous.

10. Part B: Which two details from the passage support the answer to Part A? RI 6.1 a. "The Indian leaf butterfly is a truly remarkable example of disguise." (paragraph 3) b. "It is better to lose part of a wing than risk being eaten altogether." (paragraph 4) c. "For example, the caterpillars of tropical longwing butterflies...feed exclusively on poisonous passion vines..." (paragraph 6) d. "Usually once is enough, and the birds avoid any butterfly with similar colors and patterns, including edible butterflies." (paragraph 7) e. "Even if a butterfly manages to escape its enemies, it lives for a relatively short time." (paragraph 9) f. "We can only marvel at the complexities of a butterfly's life and life cycle, its adaptation, and its ability to survive in a harsh world." (paragraph 11)

11. second answer from number 10

from The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z.

by Kate Messner Gianna Z is a spirited sixth-grade girl on a mission to complete a leaf-collection project for her science class. Her mother and grandmother suggest an afternoon walk through the Robert Frost hiking trail to find the leaves she still needs.

1 "Here." Mom hands me another couple of leaves. "They're from this tree right behind you. Use your leaf key to identify them. I'm going to try and find us a spot to rest that's out of the wind." She zips her jacket and walks ahead. 2 "Or you could just use that," Nonna whispers and points to the sign at the base of the tree. I write "beaked hazelnut" on another plastic bag and zip the leaves inside. 3 When Nonna and I catch up to Mom, she's brushed all the dead leaves off a long wooden bench, sheltered on three sides by big old trees. 4 "Get a few leaves and join us," Mom says pointing up at a branch that still has leaves hanging on. 5 "I have this one." I pluck a leaf and hand it to her. "It's a white oak. I'm going to go on ahead, okay?" 6 "That's fine," Mom says. "We'll be along soon." 7 I flip through the plastic bags in my shoe box while I walk, and I have to admit Nonna's idea was awesome. I have eighteen leaves from this walk alone, added to the four I think I still have at home. 8 I round a bend in the trail, and the trees thin out until there are just low bushes on each side. Blueberry bushes, I think, but it's too late in the season for berries. I watch for sweet spots of dark blue anyway, walking with my head down until I trip and go sprawling into damp leaves and bang my elbow on a root so hard I have to catch my breath. 9 I hold on to my box of leaves though. For once. 10 And then I look up and have to catch my breath all over again because the killer root belongs to the most incredibly fantastic climbing tree in the entire universe. 11 I know climbing trees. Zig and I have climbed every tree in our neighborhood that's even the tiniest bit climbable. Even Mr. Webster's crab apple, and that one's really hard because he doesn't cut it back enough, so there are skinny branches sticking out all over the place. 12 But this one. This is the great-grandmother of all climbing trees. Robert Frost must have been a climber. I bet he grew this tree special for climbing and had somebody cut it back every year so it would have perfect branches for footholds. They're perfectly spaced. They're the perfect thickness. Just far enough apart but not too far. Perfect.

13 And the best part is that the branches go all the way to the top without turning into the skinny ones that might snap under your feet. They stay thick and sturdy. 14 This is no climb-half-way-and-run-out-of-good-branches tree. It's an all-the-way-to-the top-of tree. 15 I balance my leaf box on the root that tripped me. For a second, I think about stopping to identify this tree, but it's way more fun to climb it. 16 So I climb instead. 17 Without having to stop or find a new route even once, I'm within a Gianna-length of the very top-- probably forty feet off the ground, at least. 18 And my perfect tree has a perfect view. The shoe box on the root looks tiny from up here. But the mountains, all hazy purple in the distance, still look big and old. And the trees are amazing. My eyes skim the tops of fluffy red and yellow trees still holding on to September, then swoop down into the dark spaces where the leaves have already fallen, where black branches scratch the edges of the hills. 19 Mom and Nonna wind their way toward the clearing until they're almost right underneath me, but they don't spot the shoe box, tucked just off the trail, and I don't make a sound. 20 Their voices drift up into my branches. 21 "They'll be getting hungry. I'll call and have him preheat the oven." 22 "Or I can do it when we get back. Relax. Angela. Enjoy the sunshine." 23 The path through the forest was already darkening with tree shadows, but here in the clearing, the last rays of late afternoon sun make it feel a lot warmer. 24 "It is a pretty nice day." Mom tips her head up to the sky. I duck behind a branch so she doesn't see me. "Fall still makes me think of Dad," she says. 25 "It was his favorite." Nonna's voice is quiet as they take the turn in the trail that heads back to the parking lot, and I strain to listen. I've never heard much about Mom's father because he died right before I was born. "Remember how he'd take you out picking apples in the orchard and hold you way, way up to get the ones on the highest branches?" 26 "I always thought they looked sweeter," Mom says. 27 She laughs, and I watch her reach out to help Nonna step over a tree that's fallen across the trail.... 28 I climb down, jump the last five feet to the ground, pick up my shoe box, and run to catch up with them. 29 "Well, there she is," Nonna says. "Our leaf catcher. We thought you'd gone up ahead." 30 "I did, but then I found a great climbing tree," I say. "It had perfect branches. They were just the right-" 31 Mom frowns at me, licks her finger, and smudges it against my cheek. "You have pine sap on your face." 32 But Nonna reaches for Mom's hand and pulls her back. "Let her be, Angela. The tops of trees are always sweeter. You know that." 33 Mom looks over at me. "Sappy girl," she says. But she smiles a little and lets my face stay dirty all the way to the car.

12. What does the word sprawling mean in paragraph 8? L6.4a a. falling with your arms and legs spread out around you b. jumping slowly into something soft and damp c. crawling onto your knees after falling d. banging an arm or leg into something hard

13. Which choice provides the best objective summary of the passage? RL 6.2 a. Gianna, her mother, and her grandmother scramble to find every leaf Gianna needs to complete her science project. While they search, Gianna gets off task, and she decides to climb a large tree. b. Gianna, her mother, and her grandmother take a leisurely walk through a forest to admire the leaves. Gianna runs ahead of the group and hurts herself tripping on a tree root. c. Gianna, her mother, and her grandmother go for a walk to find different leaves for a science project. While walking, Gianna climbs a large tree, and her mother thinks about her own father, who she misses. d. Gianna, her mother, and her grandmother decide to walk through a part of the woods that was Robert Frost's favorite. As they walk, they think about apples and their loved ones.

14. How do paragraphs 1-3 contribute to the development of the setting of the passage? RL 6.5 a. They show the reader that it is cold outside, and the group is ready to head back inside once Gianna finds all of her leaves. b. They show the reader that it is autumn, the leaves are falling, and the trail has tree identification signs. c. They show the reader that the leaves falling on the trail are ones that Gianna has already picked and identified. d. They show the reader that it is cold and too windy to catch the leaves Gianna needs for her science project.

15. How do paragraphs 8-10 contribute to the development of the plot? RL 6.5 a. Because Gianna finds another leaf, she has twenty-two leaves total. b. Gianna looks for blueberries even though she should be looking for leaves. c. Gianna's view of the tree reminds her of her friend Zig and how they used to climb trees. d. Because Gianna trips, she is forced to look up at the sight of the perfect climbing tree.

16. What is Gianna's point of view regarding tree climbing? RL 6.6 a. She is afraid of heights and does not want to climb any trees taller than herself. b. She enjoys climbing trees and has fond memories of tree climbing in her past. c. She has only climbed very small trees with thin branches. d. She will only climb trees that are tall and strong.

17. Part A: What can the reader infer as the reason why Gianna thinks Robert Frost was a tree climber? RL 6.1 a. She knows that the hiking trail was originally a tree climbing trail. b. The tree is similar to the crab apple tree she and Zig climbed together. c. She knows that serious tree climbers grow special trees just for climbing. d. The shape and size of the tree on the trail is just right for climbing.

18. Part B: Which quote from the passage supports the answer to Part A? RL 6.1 a. "Even Mr. Webster's crab apple, and that one's really hard because he doesn't cut it back enough, so there are skinny branches sticking out all over the place." (paragraph 11) b. "I bet he grew this tree special for climbing and had somebody cut it back every year so it would have perfect branches for footholds." (paragraph 12) c. "And the best part is that the branches go all the way to the top without turning into the skinny ones that might snap under your feet." (paragraph 13) d. "Without having to stop or find a new route even once, I'm within a Gianna-length of the very top--probably forty feet off the ground, at least." (paragraph 17)

19. Read the sentences from paragraph 14. This is no climb-half-way-and-run-out-of-good-branches tree. It's an all-the-way-tothe-top-of tree. How does the author's word choice impact the tone of the passage? RL 6.4 a. It creates a fearful tone. b. It creates an inspired tone. c. It creates an anxious tone. d. It creates a childlike tone.

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