Butterflies / Ababang Blue-banded King Crow Butterfly
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Butterflies / Ababang Blue-banded King Crow Butterfly
There are many different insects on Guam. Some, like flies (lålo'), cockroaches (kukuråcha), and mosquitoes (namu), are unpopular pests. Others, like mantises and wasps are helpful because they eat pests. Butterflies are welcomed visitors to yards and gardens because they are beautiful. Some butterflies may also be helpful by pollinating plants, but others may be pests because their caterpillars eat useful plants.
There are several different kinds of butterflies on Guam, all of which are collectively known in Chamoru as "ababang." Some live deep in the forest. Others like open fields and grass areas. Butterflies eat the sweet liquid produced by flowers called nectar. Their mouth parts form a long tube that is used to suck the nectar from flowers. By moving from one flower to another, they spread the plant's pollen. This helps plants reproduce. Butterflies have two pairs of wings and six legs. Their wings are covered with colorful tiny scales that can come off when touched.
Ababang have an amazing life history. Females of the flying adults lay tiny eggs. The eggs hatch into a larval stage called the caterpillar. Caterpillars have a worm-like body with many legs and are often colorful and decorated with hairs, spines, or tassels. They feed entirely on leaves. The caterpillar turns into a hard, little, cocoon-like object called a chrysalis. The chrysalis hangs from a plant for several days or weeks. Finally, it breaks open and a beautiful adult butterfly comes out. This fantastic process of changing from one form to another is called metamorphosis. All ababang and moths (babali) go through metamorphosis. Metamorphosis can be watched by capturing a caterpillar and feeding it leafy branches of the plant it is found on until it makes a chrysalis and the adult ababang emerges.
Guam Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy, 9/27/2005
