Butterflies are one of the most beautiful of all insects. There are about 15,000 to 20,000 species. The word butterfly comes from the Old English word butterfleoge, meaning butter and flying creature. Buter probably referred to the butter-yellow color of some European butterflies. Butter flies and moths make up a group of insects called Lepidoptera. Butterflies: (1) Most butterflies fly during the day. (2) Most butterflies have knobs at the end of their antennae. (3) Most butterflies have slender, hairless bodies. (4) Most butterflies' rest their wings held upright over their bodies.
The life cycle.
A butterfly begins its life as a tiny egg, which hatches into a caterpillar. The caterpillar spends most of their time eating and growing. But their skin does not grow, and so the caterpillar sheds it and grows a larger one. This process is repeated several times. After the caterpillar is done growing, it forms a protective shell. That shell is called a cacoon. Inside the cacoon a big change accurse, the caterpillar changes into a butterfly. The cacoon breaks when it is ready then comes a beautiful butterfly. The butterfly expands it wings and has to sit and let them dry.
Stages v/s .
Egg.
Larva.
Pupa.
Adult.
Types of butterflies .
Scientist group thousands of species of butterflies into families, according to various physical features the insects have in common. The chief family includes (1) skipper; (2) blue, coppers, and hairstreaks; (3) brush-footed butterflies; (4) sulphurs and whites; (5) metalmarks; (6) satyrs and wood nymphs; (7) swallowtails; (8) milk weed butterflies; (9) snout butterflies. Each of these families has species in North America. All of the butterflies are different in their own ways. For instance the skippers have plump, hairy bodies and therefore look more like moths than butterflies.
The body of a butterfly.
A butterfly has a hard shell like skin called the ex-skeleton.
