Butterflies are
insects in the
cladeRhopalocera from the
order Lepidoptera, which also includes
moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group comprises the large
superfamily Papilionoidea, along with two smaller groups, the skippers (superfamily
Hesperioidea) and the moth-butterflies (superfamily
Hedyloidea). Butterfly fossils date to the
Palaeocene, about 56 million years ago.
Butterflies have the typical four-stage insect life cycle. Winged adults lay eggs on the food plant on which their
larvae, known as
caterpillars, will feed. The caterpillars grow, sometimes very rapidly, and when fully developed,
pupate in a
chrysalis. When
metamorphosis is complete, the pupal skin splits, the adult insect climbs out, and after its wings have expanded and dried, it flies off. Some butterflies, especially in the tropics, have several generations in a year, while others have a single generation, and a few in cold locations may take several years to pass through their whole life cycle.
Butterflies are often
polymorphic, and many species make use of
camouflage,
mimicry and
aposematism to evade their predators. Some, like the
monarch and the
painted lady,
migrateover long distances. Many butterflies are attacked by
parasites or
parasitoids, including
wasps,
protozoans,
flies, and other invertebrates, or are
preyed upon by other organisms. Some species are pests because in their larval stages they can damage domestic crops or trees; other species are agents of
pollination of some plants. Larvae of a few butterflies (e.g.,
harvesters) eat harmful insects, and a few are predators of
ants, while others live as
mutualists in association with ants. Culturally, butterflies are a popular motif in the visual and literary arts.