Webpages Related to the Tag Butterfly

Butterflies are insects that belong to the order Lepidoptera. They are known for their large, often brightly colored wings and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. Butterflies are nearly worldwide in their distribution. The group comprises the superfamilies Hedyloidea (moth-butterflies in the Americas) and Papilionoidea. Butterfly fossils date back to the Paleocene, about 56 million years ago. Butterflies (and moths) are the only group of insects that have scales covering their wings, although some butterflies have reduced scales. They differ from other insects also by their ability to coil up their proboscis. Caterpillars are the names given to the larvae of both butterflies and moths.