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Butterfly

Papilionoidea

Last updated: February 24, 2021
Verified by: AZ Animals Staff
  1. Animals Home
  2. All Animals
  3. Invertebrates
  4. Insects
  5. Butterfly

There are thought to be up 20,000 species!

Continue Reading after the facts...


Butterfly Scientific Classification

Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Class
Insecta
Order
Lepidoptera
Scientific Name
Papilionoidea

Butterfly Conservation Status

  • Least Concern

Butterfly Locations

  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Central-America
  • Eurasia
  • Europe
  • North-America
  • Ocean
  • Oceania
  • South-America
Butterfly Locations

Butterfly Facts

Main Prey
Nectar, Pollen, Honey
Habitat
Quiet forests and pastures
Predators
Bats, Frogs, Small mammals and reptiles
Diet
Herbivore
Average Litter Size
100
Favorite Food
Nectar
Common Name
Butterfly
Number Of Species
12000
Location
Worldwide
Slogan
There are thought to be up 20,000 species!

Butterfly Physical Characteristics

Colour
  • Yellow
  • Red
  • Blue
  • Black
  • White
  • Green
  • Orange
Skin Type
Hair

Butterfly Images

Click through all of our Butterfly images in the gallery.

View all of the Butterfly images!




The butterfly can be found in most countries in the world, but there tend to be more butterflies in warmer climates. The butterfly is a type of insect that feeds on flower nectar through its long and curled straw-like tongue.

Butterflies are similar in appearance and tendencies to moths, with many species of butterfly often getting confused as a moth and moths with butterflies. In general, the butterfly species tend to be more brightly coloured than the moth species, but there are exceptions.

The butterfly’s most reputable characteristic is the fact that there is an incredible morphing process, during the life cycle of the butterfly. The butterfly starts life as a caterpillar, which cocoons itself in a silky thread. The caterpillar emerges from its time in the pod, with colourful wings.

The butterflies in the tropical rainforests of the southern hemisphere can get to incredible sizes, with the wings of these butterflies displaying some of the brightest colours in the natural world.

It has been estimated that there are between 15,000 and 20,000 different species of butterfly in the world as more are constantly being discovered particularly in dense jungle regions that have little contact with humans. The different species of butterfly vary in size and colour as well as the differences in the bright patterns that are displayed on the wings of the butterfly.

Butterflies are herbivorous animals as butterflies are known to only eat plant matter with a high sugar content. Butterflies fly between the flowers drinking the nectar through their long tongue which acts as a straw. Whilst doing this, the butterfly transfers pollen between the plants, meaning that the butterfly plays a vital role in the pollination of plants around the world.

Due to their small size and colourful wings, butterflies are preyed upon by a number of animals around the world. The main predators of the butterfly include amphibians such as frogs and newts, small reptiles such as lizards and mammals including bats.

Butterflies reproduce by the male butterfly inserting his sperm into the pouch of the female butterfly. When the female butterfly is ready to lay her eggs, she performs a kind of self-fertilisation process as when the female releases an egg, it passes the pouch that contains the sperm of the male butterfly and is fertilised.

Female butterflies lay around 100 eggs at a time, with some species of butterfly laying their eggs in a cluster (all at one time) and other species of butterfly lay their eggs individually onto numerous different plants. The egg soon hatches as larvae which develops into a caterpillar and then into a butterfly.

Butterflies have intrigued and been of one of natures wonders due to their gentle nature and bright colours. Butterflies are commonly used in art and literature around the world and across numerous different cultures.

View all 81 animals that start with B


Butterfly FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) 

Are Butterflies herbivores, carnivores, or omnivores?

Butterflies are Herbivores, meaning they eat plants.

What Kingdom do Butterflies belong to?

Butterflies belong to the Kingdom Animalia.

What phylum do Butterflies belong to?

Butterflies belong to the phylum Arthropoda.

What class do Butterflies belong to?

Butterflies belong to the class Insecta.

What order do Butterflies belong to?

Butterflies belong to the order Lepidoptera.

Where do Butterflies live?

Butterflies are found worldwide.

In what type of habitat do Butterflies live?

Butterflies live in quiet forests and pastures.

What do Butterflies eat?

Butterflies eat nectar, pollen, and honey.

What are some predators of Butterflies?

Predators of Butterflies include bats, frogs, small mammals, and reptiles.

How many babies do Butterflies have?

The average number of babies a Butterfly has is 100.

What is an interesting fact about Butterflies?

There are thought to be up 20,000 species of Butterfly!

What is the scientific name for the Butterfly?

The scientific name for the Butterfly is Papilionoidea.

How many species of Butterfly are there?

There are 12,000 species of Butterfly.

How to say Butterfly in ...
English
Papilioninae
Spanish
Papilioninae
French
Papilioninae
Italian
Papilioninae
Japanese
アゲハチョウ亜科
English
Papilioninae
Sources
  1. David Burnie, Dorling Kindersley (2011) Animal, The Definitive Visual Guide To The World's Wildlife
  2. Tom Jackson, Lorenz Books (2007) The World Encyclopedia Of Animals
  3. David Burnie, Kingfisher (2011) The Kingfisher Animal Encyclopedia
  4. Richard Mackay, University of California Press (2009) The Atlas Of Endangered Species
  5. David Burnie, Dorling Kindersley (2008) Illustrated Encyclopedia Of Animals
  6. Dorling Kindersley (2006) Dorling Kindersley Encyclopedia Of Animals

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