For other uses, see Butterfly (disambiguation).
Butterflies


Cairns Birdwing, the largest butterfly in Australia (Melbourne Zoo).
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Lepidoptera

(unranked) Rhopalocera


Superfamilies and families
Superfamily Hedyloidea:
Hedylidae
Superfamily Hesperioidea:
Hesperiidae
Superfamily Papilionoidea:
Papilionidae
Pieridae
Nymphalidae
Lycaenidae
Riodinidae

A butterfly is an insect of the order Lepidoptera. Like all Lepidoptera, butterflies are notable for their unusual life cycle with a larval caterpillar stage, an inactive pupal stage, and a spectacular metamorphosis into a familiar and colourful winged adult form. Most species are day-flying so they regularly attract attention. The diverse patterns formed by their brightly coloured wings and their erratic yet graceful flight have made butterfly watching a fairly popular hobby.

Butterflies comprise the true butterflies (superfamily Papilionoidea), the skippers (Superfamily Hesperioidea) and the moth-butterflies (Superfamily Hedyloidea). Butterflies exhibit polymorphism, mimicry and aposematism. Some are known to migrate over large distances. Some butterflies have evolved symbiotic and parasitic relationships with social insects such as ants. Butterflies are important economically as one of the major agents of pollination. In addition, a number of species are pests, because they can damage domestic crops and trees.

Culturally, butterflies are a popular motif in the visual and literary arts.