Our butterfly guide, Robin, has often been asked “do butterflies have a brain?”
This is a very good illustration on the internal organs … and what do you know, they do have a brain!
Insect anatomy scheme
A– Head
B– Thorax
C– Abdomen
- antenna
- ocelli (lower)
- ocelli (upper)
- compound eye
- brain (cerebral ganglia)
- prothorax
- dorsal artery
- tracheal tubes (trunk with spiracle)
- mesothorax
- metathorax
- first wing
- second wing
- mid-gut (stomach)
- heart
- ovary
- hind-gut (intestine, rectum & anus)
- anus
- vagina
- nerve chord (abdominal ganglia)
- Malpighian tubes
- pillow
- claws
- tarsus
- tibia
- femur
- trochanter
- fore-gut (crop, gizzard)
- thoracic ganglion
- coxa
- salivary gland
- subesophageal ganglion
- mouthparts