On this Wikipedia the language links are at butterfly theme cake top of the page across from the article title. Kallima inachus is a nymphalid butterfly found in tropical Asia. The same butterfly, Kallima inachus, showing the upper side of its wings. A butterfly is a usually day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera.

They are grouped together in the suborder Rhopalocera. Butterflies are closely related to moths, from which they evolved. They have a long-lasting history of co-evolution with flowering plants. Lower Cretaceous, but did not become common until the Upper Cretaceous. Butterflies were the last major group of insects to appear on the planet.

Like moths, butterflies have four wings covered with tiny scales. When a butterfly is not flying, its wings are usually folded over its back. The wings are patterned and are often brightly coloured. There are many different kinds of butterflies. The males and females of each kind are often slightly different from each other. Butterfly watching is a popular hobby.

Like all insects with complete metamorphosis, a butterfly’s life goes through four distinct stages. After some time, the larva turns into a chrysalis. Butterflies are any of the species belonging to the superfamilies Papilionoidea and Hedyloidea. Butterflies, along with the moths and the skippers, make up the insect order Lepidoptera. Butterflies are nearly worldwide in their distribution. The main predators of butterflies are birds, just as the main predators of the crepuscular moths are bats. The extraordinary colours and patterns on the wings and body can only be understood in terms of their function.

Signalling to other animals Warning colouration: signalling to other animals not to attack. Caterpillars may have stored poisons from their food plants. The details vary from group to group, and from species to species. The caterpillars also have colours with similar functions.

The poisonous substances which make some butterflies noxious to eat are got from the plants eaten by their caterpillars. Like most insects, butterflies have three main body parts. These parts are the head, the thorax, and the abdomen. The body is protected by the exoskeleton. The body is made up of sections, known as segments. Butterflies have a very characteristic flying style.

They usually do not fly in straight lines. Their style is well described by the children’s version of their name: ‘flutter-by’. The way they fly presumably makes them harder for birds to catch. They can survive bird pecks on the wings. Late in the season damage to their wings can often be seen, though they continue flying quite well.

When they are alive, it is often difficult to see they have four wings. The wings on each side are linked by a row of little hooks. So in practice they fly as if they had one large wing on each side. The head is the first part of the body. It has the eyes, mouth parts, and antennae. The eyes of a butterfly are large.

Like other adult insects, the eye is made up of many small lenses or “optical units”. Butterflies do not see as many colours as humans, but they can see ultraviolet light. The mouth of an adult butterfly does not have jaws. It has a kind of mouth that sucks liquids. This mouth is made of two hollow tubes. The tubes are locked together in the middle.