An insect belonging to the order Lepidoptera, which comprises the butterflies and moths. Butterflies are usually distinguished from moths by being active during the daytime, by folding their wings upright over their bodies when at rest, and by having small knobs at the tips of their antennae; but there are exceptions.
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A Viceroy, mimic of the Monarch |
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| Superfamily Hesperioidea: Hesperiidae Superfamily Papilionoidea: Papilionidae Pieridae Nymphalidae Lycaenidae Riodinidae |
A butterfly is an insect of the order Lepidoptera, and belongs to one of the superfamilies Hesperioidea (the skippers) or Papilionoidea (all other butterflies).
Etymology
The Old English word for butterfly was buttorfleoge apparently because butterflies were thought to steal milk.
An alternative folk etymology, prevalent in Great Britain, is that it originated as a contraction of butter-coloured fly referring to the Brimstone Butterfly Gonepteryx rhamni, often the first butterfly of spring.
Origin and distribution
Butterflies are believed to have evolved from a branch of ancestral forms of moths.
Butterflies are today distributed throughout the world except in the very cold and arid regions.
Classification
Presently butterflies are classified in two superfamilies, Hesperioidea, consisting of the 'skippers' and Papilionoidea or 'true butterflies'.
Butterfly families
The five families of true butterflies usually recognized in the Papilionoidea are:-
Family Papilionidae, the Swallowtails and Birdwings Family Pieridae, the Whites and Yellows Family Lycaenidae, the Blues and Coppers, also called the Gossamer-Winged Butterflies Family Riodinidae, the Metalmark butterflies Family Nymphalidae, the Brush-footed butterfliesTaxonomic issues
A study combining morphological and molecular data concluded that Hesperiidae, Papilionidae, Pieridae, Lycaenidae and Riodinidae could all be strongly supported as monophyletic groups, but the status of Nymphalidae is uncertain.
Some older classifications recognize additional families, for example Danaidae, Heliconiidae, Libytheidae and Satyridae, but modern classifications treat these as subfamilies within the Nymphalidae.
Butterflies and moths
The dichotomous classfication of lepidopterans into butterflies and moths is one that is popular but not used in taxonomy. (See difference between a butterfly and a moth)
The four stages in the lifecycle of a butterfly
Unlike many insects, butterflies do not experience a nymph period, but instead go through a pupal stage which lies between the larva and the adult stage (the imago).
Egg Larva, known as a caterpillar Pupa (chrysalis) Adult butterfly (imago)It is a popular belief that butterflies have very short life spans.
Egg
Butterfly eggs consist of a hard-ridged outer layer of shell, called the chorion.
Butterfly eggs are fixed to a leaf with a special glue which hardens rapidly.
Eggs are usually laid on plants. Each species of butterfly has its own hostplant range and while some species are restricted to just one species, others use a range of plant species, often members of a common family.
Caterpillars
Larvae, or caterpillars, are multi-legged eating machines.
Although most caterpillars are herbivorous, a few species are carnivorous.
Caterpillars mature through a series of stages, called instars.
Butterfly caterpillars have three pairs of true legs from the thoracic segments and upto 6 pairs of prolegs arising from the abdominal segments.
Some caterpillars have the ability to inflate parts of their head to appear snake-like.
Host plants often have toxic substances in them and caterpillars are able to sequester these substances and retain them into the adult stage.
Wing development
Wings or wing pads are not visible on the outside of the larva, but when larvae are dissected, tiny developing wing disks can be found on the second and third thoracic segments, in place of the spiracles that are apparent on abdominal segments.
Wing disks develop in association with a trachea that runs along the base of the wing, and are surrounded by a thin peripodial membrane, which is linked to the outer epidermis of the larva by a tiny duct.
Wing disks are very small until the last larval instar, when they increase dramatically in size, are invaded by branching tracheae from the wing base that precede the formation of the wing veins, and begin to express molecular markers in patterns associated with several landmarks of the wing.
Near pupation, the wings are forced outside the epidermis under pressure from the hemolymph, and although they are initially quite flexible and fragile, by the time the pupa breaks free of the larval cuticle they have adhered tightly to the outer cuticle of the pupa (in obtect pupae).
Pupa
When the larva is fully grown, hormones such as prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH) are produced.
The larva transforms into a pupa (or chrysalis) by anchoring itself to a subtrate and moulting for the last time.
The pupal transformation into a butterfly through metamorphosis has held great appeal to mankind.
Adult or Imago
The adult, sexually mature, stage of the insect is known as the imago.
External morphology
Morphology of a butterfly 1 - Antenna 2 - Head 3 - Compound eye 4 - Proboscis 5 - Front leg 6 - Middle leg 7 - Thorax 8 - Femur 9 - Tibia of a hind leg 10 - Tarsus of a hind leg 11 - Abdominal segment 12 - Abdomen 13 - Hindwing 14 - Spur or tail 15 - Outer margin 16 - Apex 17 - Vein 18 - Forewing 19 - Costal marginScales
Butterflies are characterized by their scale covered wings.
The colouration of butterfly wings is created by minute scales.
Polymorphism
Many adult butterflies exhibit polymorphism, showing differences in appearance.
Genetic abnormalities such as gynandromorphs also occur from time to time.
Batesian and Mullerian mimicry in butterflies is common.
Habits
Butterflies feed primarily on nectar from flowers.
As adults, butterflies are consume only liquids and these are sucked by means of their proboscis.
Butterflies sense the air for scents, wind and nectar using their antennae.
Vision is well developed in butterflies and most species are sensitive to the ultraviolet spectrum.
Some butterflies have organs of hearing and some species are also known to make stridulatory and clicking sounds.
Many butterflies, such as the Monarch butterfly, are migratory and capable of long distance flights.
Many species of butterfly maintain territories and actively chase other species or individuals that may stray into them.
Flight
Unlike many other members of the insect world, the flight of a butterfly can be explained quantitatively (and quite accurately) using steady-state, non-transitory aerodynamics.
Defense
Butterflies have many predators and they have evolved a variety of defenses.
Chemical defenses are widespread and are often based on chemicals of plant origin.
Cryptic colouration is found in many butterflies.
Behavioural defenses include perching and wing positions to avoid being conspicuous.
Eyespots and tails are found in many lycaenid butterflies and these divert the attention of predators from the more vital head region.
Study of butterflies
Scientists who study butterflies (or the closely related moths) are called lepidopterists and in former times were also known as aurelians.
The tools of butterfly research have changed over time.
Field guides for various regions have made butterfly-watching and field studies popular.
Some popular species
There are between 15,000 and 20,000 species of butterflies worldwide. the largest butterflies) Whites or Yellows, Family Pieridae Small White, Pieris rapae Green-veined White, Pieris napi Common Jezebel, Delias eucharis Blues and Coppers or Gossamer-Winged Butterflies, Family Lycaenidae Xerces Blue, Glaucopsyche xerces Karner Blue, Lycaeides melissa samuelis (endangered) Red Pierrot, Talicada nyseus Metalmark butterflies, Family Riodinidae Lange's Metalmark Butterfly Plum Judy, Abisara echerius Brush-footed butterflies, Family Nymphalidae Painted Lady, or Cosmopolite, Vanessa cardui Monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus Morpho genus Speckled Wood, Pararge aegeria
In culture
Art
Artistic depictions of butterflies have been used in many cultures including Egyptian hieroglyphics 3500 years ago.
Symbolism
According to the “Butterflies” chapter in Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things, by Lafcadio Hearn, a butterfly is seen as the personification of a person's soul, whether they be living, dying, or already dead.
According to Mircea Eliade's Encyclopedia of Religion, some of the Nagas of Manipur trace their ancestry from a butterfly.
Gallery
Family Papilionidae- The Swallowtails
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Scarce Swallowtail, |
Palawan Birdwing, |
Cairns Birdwing, |
Blue Mormon, |
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Orchard Swallowtail Butterfly, |
Crimson Rose, |
Pipevine Swallowtail, |
Common Mime, |
Family Pieridae - The Whites and Yellows
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Green-veined White, |
The Orange Tip, |
Common Jezebel, |
Common Brimstone, |
Family Riodinidae - The Metalmarks, Punches and Judies
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The Plum Judy, |
Punchinello, |
Tailed Judy, |
Lange's Metalmark. |
Family Nymphalidae - The Brush-footed Butterflies
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Monarch Butterfly, |
Common Nawab, |
Morpho rhetenor helena a morphine from |
Julia Heliconian, |
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Sara Longwing, |
Glasswing butterfly, |
Lorquin's Admiral, |
Leopard Lacewing, |
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Peacock Butterfly, |
Comma Butterfly, |
Common Buckeye, |
Crimson Patch, |
Family Lycaenidae - The Blues
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Red Pierrot, |
Small Copper, |
Monkey Puzzle, |
Banded Blue Pierrot, Regional listsThe Nebraska Butterfly Association Butterflies and Moths of North America North American Butterfly Association (NABA) Butterflies and Moths in the Netherlands Butterflies of Asturias - North of Spain Moths and butterflies of Europe en North Africa Checklist of the butterflies of Afghanistan Insect and butterfly diversity of Pakistan Butterflies of Southern India Butterflies of Kerala, South India Butterflies of Sri Lanka Butterflies of Singapore Singapore Butterfly Checklist Butterfly Conservation Society of TaiwanImage repositoriesButterfly photos Reference quality large format photographs, common butterflies of North America BugGuide.net Many images of North American butterflies, many licensed via Creative Commons European butterfly photos Polish butterfly pictures Butterfly Images |
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