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{{Automatic taxobox
| name = Butterflies
| fossil_range = [[Palaeocene]]{{ndash}}[[Holocene|present]] <br/>~60 mya {see text}
| image = Fesoj - Papilio machaon (by).jpg
| image_caption = ''[[Papilio machaon]]''
| taxon = Rhopalocera
| subdivision_ranks = Subgroups
| subdivision =
* Superfamily [[Hedyloidea]]:
** [[Hedylidae]]
* Superfamily [[Papilionoidea]]:
** [[Hesperiidae]]
** [[Lycaenidae]]
** [[Nymphalidae]]
** [[Papilionidae]]
** [[Pieridae]]
** [[Riodinidae]]
}}
[[File:Euschemon rafflesia (ento-csiro-au).jpg|thumb|right|The [[regent skipper]] (''Euschemon rafflesia'') is the most distinct skipper butterfly, forming a [[subfamily]] of the [[Hesperiidae]]]]
[[File:Gonepteryx rhamni - Citron-1.jpg|thumb|right|Some butterflies do [[camouflage]]: the excellent leaf-[[mimic]] ''Gonepteryx rhamni'', the [[common brimstone]], on purple loosestrife]]
[[File:Kallima inachus qtl1.jpg |thumb|''[[Kallima]] inachus'' is a [[nymphalid]] butterfly found in tropical Asia. With its wings closed, it looks like a dry leaf with dark veins]]
[[File:Orange oak leaf.JPG|thumb|The same butterfly, ''Kallima inachus'', showing the upper side of its wings.]]
[[File:Cute boy face with butterfly.jpg|thumb|Boy looks at butterfly]]

A '''butterfly''' is a (usually) day-flying [[insect]] of the [[order (biology)|order]] [[Lepidoptera]]. They are grouped together in the suborder '''Rhopalocera'''. Butterflies are related to [[moth]]s, from which they [[evolved]] about 56 million years ago.<ref name=Grimbut/> The earliest discovered fossil moth was 200 million years ago.<ref>Briggs, Helen. Meet the butterflies from 200 million years ago. ''BBC Science & Environment''. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-42636275] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190720103351/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-42636275 |date=2019-07-20 }}</ref>

The life of butterflies is closely connected to [[flowering plants]]. Their [[larvae]] ([[caterpillar]]s) feed on plants, and their adults feed on flowers. They lay their eggs on the plants their caterpillars feed on. Butterflies have a long history of [[co-evolution]] with flowering plants. Many of the details of [[plant anatomy]] are related to their [[Pollination|pollinators]], and vice versa.<ref>95% of flowering plants in tropical lowlands rely on animals for pollination or dispersal of seeds. Thomson, John N. 1994. ''The coevolutionary process''. University of Chicago Press, p7. {{ISBN|0-226-79760-0}}</ref> The other notable features of butterflies are their extraordinary range of colours and patterns, and their wings. These are discussed below.

[[Angiosperms]] (flowering plants) evolved in the [[Lower Cretaceous]], but did not become common until the [[Upper Cretaceous]]. Butterflies were the last major group of insects to appear on the planet.<ref name=Grimbut>Grimaldi D. and Engel M.S. 2005. ''Evolution of the insects''. Cambridge University Press, p590{{ndash}}606. {{ISBN|0-521-82149-5}}</ref> They [[evolved]] from moths in the latest Cretaceous or the earliest [[Cainozoic]]. The earliest known butterfly [[fossil]]s date to the mid [[Eocene]] [[Epoch (geology)|epoch]], between 40 and 50 million years ago.<ref name=halletal2004>{{cite journal | author = Hall J.P.W; Robbins R.K. & Harvey D.J. | year = 2004 | title = Extinction and biogeography in the Caribbean: new evidence from a fossil riodinid butterfly in Dominican amber | url = | journal = Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B | volume = 271 | issue = 1541| pages = 797–801 | doi = 10.1098/rspb.2004.2691 | pmid = 15255097 | pmc = 1691661  | issn=0962-8452}}</ref>

Like moths, butterflies have four wings covered with tiny [[scale (zoology)|scales]]. The front and back wings are usually zipped together, so that the insect looks as if it has only two wings. 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]]. Some people also keep collections of dead butterflies that they have caught, but they find out that the colour fades.

Like all insects with complete [[metamorphosis]], a butterfly's life goes through four distinct stages. It begins as an [[Egg (biology)|egg]], which  hatches into a [[larva]] (a [[caterpillar]]). After some time, the larva turns into a [[chrysalis]]. While it is in the chrysalis stage, it changes to become an adult butterfly. These changes are only beginning to be understood. To complete the cycle, adults mate and the females lay eggs. 

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.

== Predators and defences ==
=== Predators ===
The main [[predators]] of butterflies are birds, just as the main predators of the [[crepuscular]] [[moths]] are [[bats]]. Also [[monkeys]] and tree-dwelling [[reptiles]] are predators, and some insects and spiders. All reptiles have good colour vision, so that butterfly coloration is seen by them.

=== Defences ===
The extraordinary colours and patterns on the wings and body can only be understood in terms of their function. Some of the most obvious functions of colour are:
# [[Camouflage]]: enabling the insect to remain hidden from view
# Signalling to other animals
## [[Warning colouration]]: signalling to other animals not to attack. Caterpillars may have stored poisons from their food plants.
## [[Mimicry]]: taking advantage of another species' warning coloration
## [[Sexual selection]]: finding a mate
## Other kinds of signalling:
# Diversion
## [[wikt:startle|Startle defence]]: unexpected flashes of colour or eyespots

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 [[wikt:noxious|noxious]] to eat are got from the plants eaten by their caterpillars.

== Body ==
[[File:Butterfly portrait.jpg|thumb|right|The head of a butterfly]]
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. In between the segments there are [[wikt:flexible|flexible]] areas that allow the butterfly to move. All three parts of the body are covered in very small scales. The scales give the butterfly its colour.<ref name=Smart>Smart, Paul 1977. ''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Butterfly World'', chapter 2. Chartwell Books. {{ISBN|0-89009-093-9}}</ref>

=== Wings and flight ===
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. 

Some species are capable of strong, long flights (see [[monarch butterfly]] migration) and others never leave the woods they were born in. 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.

=== Head ===
The head is the first part of the body. It has the [[eye]]s, [[mouth]] parts, and [[antenna (biology)|antenna]]e.<ref name=Smart/>

The eyes of a butterfly are large. Like other adult insects, the eye is made up of many small lenses or "optical units". These are [[compound eye]]s. Butterflies do not see as many colours as [[human]]s, but they can see [[ultraviolet]] light.<ref name=Smart/>

The mouth of an adult butterfly does not have [[jaw]]s. It has a kind of mouth that sucks [[liquid]]s. This mouth is made of two hollow [[wikt:tubes|tubes]]. The tubes are locked together in the middle. When the butterfly is not drinking, the tubes are [[wikt:coil|coiled]] up. It can uncoil them  when it wants to drink.<ref name=Smart/> Like all insects, the adult phase is about [[reproduction]]. The main eating phase is done by the larvae, which usually eat plant food.

The antennae of a butterfly are used for [[Olfaction|smell]] and [[balance]]. The antenna in most butterflies is clubbed at the end. In some butterflies (like the [[Skipper (butterfly)|skippers]]), there is a hook at the end of the antenna, instead of a club.<ref name=Smart/>

=== Thorax ===
[[File:Inachis io top detail MichaD.jpg|thumb|right|The [[ocellus (mimicry)|eye-spot]] on a butterfly's wings]]
The thorax is the second part of the body. It is made up of three segments. The [[leg]]s and wings are connected to the thorax.<ref name=Smart/>

The legs of a butterfly are made for walking, holding onto things, and [[taste|tasting]]. There are three pairs of legs.<ref name=Smart/> There are four main parts of the leg. They are the trochanter, the femur, the tibia, and the foot.<ref name=Cech>Cech, Rick and Tudor, Guy 2005. ''Butterflies of the East Coast''. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, p36. {{ISBN|0-691-09055-6}}</ref> At the end of each foot, there is a pair of [[claw]]s. Butterflies in the [[family (biology)|family]] [[Nymphalidae]] have very short front legs. They keep there front legs close to their bodies. This makes it look like they only have two pairs of legs.<ref name=Smart/> In some [[species]], there is a movable body part on the tibia that is used to clean the antennae.<ref name=Triplehorn>Triplehorn, Charles A. and Johnson, Norman F. 2005. ''Borror and Delong's introduction to the study of insects''. 7th ed, Thomson Brooks/Cole. Belmont, California, p578. {{ISBN|0-03-096835-6}}</ref>

A butterfly has two pairs of wings. Each wing has hollow tubes called [[vein]]s. The colors and patterns of butterflies are made by tiny scales. The scales overlap each other. They are connected to the wing. If a butterfly is [[wikt:handle|handled]], the tiny scales may rub off.<ref name=Smart/>

=== Abdomen ===
The abdomen is the third part of the body. It is made up of ten segments. The abdomen is much softer than the head and the thorax. At the end of the abdomen are the [[reproductive organ]]s. In the male, there is a pair of claspers. They are used to hold on to the female during [[Sexual reproduction|mating]]. In the female, there is a tube to lay [[egg (biology)|eggs]] (the [[ovipositor]]).<ref name=Smart/>

== Life cycle ==
Butterflies go through [[complete metamorphosis]]. This means that there are four parts in a butterfly's life. The first part is the [[egg (biology)|egg]]. The second part is the [[caterpillar]] (sometimes called the [[larva]]). The third part is the [[chrysalis]] (sometimes called the [[pupa]]). The fourth part is the adult (sometimes called the [[imago]]).<ref name=Smart/>

=== Egg ===
[[File:Ariadne merione egg sec.jpg|thumb|200px|A common castor (''[[Ariadne merione]]'') egg]]

A female butterfly will lay her eggs on or near the food plant of the caterpillar (the food plant is the plant that the caterpillar feeds on). The female will choose a place to lay her eggs using smell, taste, [[touch]], and [[sight]]. Most species will lay just one egg on the food plant. Others will lay groups of five to over 100 eggs on the food plant. Most species will lay their eggs on the leaves of the food plant. Others will lay them on the [[flower]]s, [[Plant stem|stems]], [[bark]], or [[fruit]] of the food plant.<ref name=Smart/>

The eggs come in many different shapes and colours. They may be round or oval, and flattened. In some species, the egg shell is [[wikt:ribbed|ribbed]]. The most common colours in butterfly eggs are [[yellow]] and [[green]]. The eggs will turn dark just before hatching. Also, some butterflies take a day to come out of eggs, while others could take months.

=== Caterpillar ===
{{Main|Caterpillar}}
[[File:Common Buckeye larva variation, Megan McCarty42.JPG|thumb|200px|Common buckeye (''[[Junonia coenia]]'') caterpillars. Note the variation]]
[[File:01 chenille machaon (detail).jpg|thumb|200px|A Old World swallowtail (''[[Papilio machaon]]'') caterpillar showing its osmeterium]]

Butterfly caterpillars can vary in size, colour, and shape. They may have [[spine]]s, [[wikt:bristle|bristles]], or soft body [[wikt:extension|extensions]]. All caterpillars have 13 body segments. The first three segments make up the thorax. The thorax has three pairs of [[leg]]s. These legs are called true legs. The other 10 segments make up the abdomen. The abdomen has five pairs of soft legs called prolegs. The prolegs have tiny hooks at the end of each of the foot. They are used to hold on to things. The hooks are called crochets.<ref name=Smart/>

A caterpillar's [[skin]] does not grow. As the caterpillar grows inside its skin, the skin becomes too tight. In order for the caterpillar to grow bigger, it [[wikt:shed|sheds]] its too-tight skin. After the old skin is shed, there is a new, larger skin. This is known as [[moulting]]. A caterpillar will moult four to five times before turning into a pupa. Each stage between moults is called an ''instar''.<ref name=Smart/>

All caterpillars can make [[silk]]. The silk is made from the [[salivary gland]]s. Silk starts out as a liquid in the salivary glands. The caterpillar draws out the silk into a small thread. The silk hardens as soon as it is [[wikt:expose|exposed]] to the air. Caterpillars use silk to make [[nest]]s or [[cocoon]]s.<ref name=Smart/>

Most caterpillars feed on [[leaf|leaves]] of [[plant]]s or [[tree]]s. Most species of caterpillars will feed only on a small number of certain kinds of plants. If the caterpillar's food plant is not found, it may [[wikt:starve|starve]] to death.<ref name=Smart/>

Some species of caterpillars (in the family [[Lycaenidae]]) are [[wikt:tend|tended]] by [[ant]]s. The caterpillars have special [[gland]]s that make a sweet liquid called [[honeydew]]. The ants like the honeydew. In return for the honeydew, the ants protect the caterpillars from [[predator]]s. The caterpillars also have special body parts that make [[sound]]s. The caterpillar will make sounds with the body parts and "call" the ants when the caterpillar is being attacked by predators. The ants hear the sounds and come to protect the caterpillar.<ref name=Wagnerp>Wagner, David L. 2005. ''Caterpillars of Eastern North America''. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, p91. {{ISBN|0-691-12144-3}}</ref>

Caterpillars in the [[subfamily]] [[Miletinae]] eat insects in the [[order (biology)|order]] [[Hemiptera]]. This includes [[aphid]]s, [[mealybug]]s, [[leafhopper]]s and [[treehopper]]s.<ref name=Scott>Scott, James A. 1986. ''The Butterflies of North America''. Stanford University Press, Stanford, CA. {{ISBN|0-8047-2013-4}}</ref><sup>p356</sup>

Caterpillars in the family [[Papilionidae]] have a special organ. This organ is called an osmeterium. It is a bad-smelling gland that is shaped like a [[snake]]'s [[tongue]]. It is kept behind the inside of the head. When a predator tries to eat the caterpillar, the caterpillar [[wikt:release|releases]] the osmeterium. This usually scares the predators away.<ref name=Scott/><sup>p161</sup>

=== Pupa ===
[[File:Papilio.machaon.jpg|thumb|200px|Old World Swallowtail (''Papilio machaon'') chrysalis]]
The pupa (plural, pupae) is formed after the last moult. The caterpillar will find a special place to pupate (pupate means to turn into a pupa). The [[digestive system|digestive tract]] is emptied. The caterpillar sheds its skin. The pupa is now exposed. The caterpillar's tissues are broken down and rebuilt into the butterfly's tissues.<ref name=Smart/>

The pupa cannot move. It is attached to an object by tiny hooks on the end of the abdomen. These hooks make up what is called the cremaster. There are many tiny holes on the pupa. They allow [[respiratory system|respiratory]] [[gas]]es to move in and out of the pupa.<ref name=Smart/>

Many pupae are easy for predators to attack. Some caterpillars (in the family [[Hesperiidae]] and the subfamilies [[Parnassiinae]] and [[Satyrinae]]) make shelters out of silk and leaves to protect themselves when they become pupae. These shelters are called cocoons. Most butterfly pupae do not have cocoons to protect themselves. Instead, the pupae have brown or green colours to [[camouflage]] themselves among leaves and branches. Pupae that do not have cocoons are called chrysalids or chrysalises.<ref name=Smart/>

== Survival ==
Some butterflies may be in trouble because of [[habitat]] loss. Because of the destruction of forests and grasslands, some types of butterflies have nowhere to feed and lay eggs. To help, some people plant a butterfly garden with flowers having lots of nectar for butterflies to feed on. Some people also keep plants that butterflies lay eggs on, and enjoy watching the caterpillars hatch out and feed on the plant. Chemical sprays that are used to keep pests away from garden plants, also kill butterflies.

=== Fossils ===
The earliest [[Lepidoptera]] fossils date to the [[Triassic]]-[[Jurassic]] boundary, about 200{{nbsp}}million years ago.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Eldijk|first1=Timo J.B. van|last2=Wappler|first2=Torsten|last3=Strother|first3=PaulK.|last4=Weijst|first4=Carolen M.H. van der |last5=Rajaei|first5=Hossein|last6=Visscher|first6=Henk|last7=Schootbrugge|first7=Bas van de|date=2018-01-01|title=A Triassic-Jurassic window into the evolution of Lepidoptera|journal=Science Advances|language=en|volume=4|issue=1|pages=e1701568|doi=10.1126/sciadv.1701568|pmid=29349295|issn=2375-2548|pmc=5770165|bibcode=2018SciA....4.1568V}}</ref> Butterflies evolved from moths. The oldest known butterfly is ''Protocoeliades kristenseni'' from the [[Palaeocene]] of Denmark, about 55{{nbsp}}million years ago. It belongs to the family [[Hesperiidae]] (skippers).<ref>{{Cite journal|last=De Jong|first=Rienk|date=2016-08-09|title=Reconstructing a 55-million-year-old butterfly (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae)|journal=European Journal of Entomology|volume=113|pages=423–428|doi=10.14411/eje.2016.055|doi-access=free}}</ref> [[Molecular clock]] estimates suggest that butterflies originated sometime in the mid-[[Cretaceous]], but only significantly diversified during the Cenozoic.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Chazot|first1=Nicolas|last2=Wahlberg|first2=Niklas|last3=Freitas|first3=André Victor Lucci|last4=Mitter|first4=Charles|last5=Labandeira|first5=Conrad|last6=Sohn|first6=Jae-Cheon|last7=Sahoo|first7=Ranjit Kumar|last8=Seraphim|first8=Noemy|last9=de Jong|first9=Rienk|last10=Heikkilä|first10=Maria|date=2019-02-25|title=Priors and posteriors in bayesian timing of divergence analyses: the age of butterflies revisited |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/syz002|journal=Systematic Biology|volume=68|issue=5|pages=797–813|doi=10.1093/sysbio/syz002|issn=1063-5157|pmc=6893297|pmid=30690622|access-date=9 July 2021|archive-date=19 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210719044623/https://academic.oup.com/sysbio/article/68/5/797/5300234|url-status=live}}</ref> Genetic data suggest they originated in North-America 102.5–100.0{{nbsp}}million years ago from a nocturnal moth ancestor that fed on legumes. Only about 17{{nbsp}}million years ago did they colonize Europe.<ref>[https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-023-02041-9 A global phylogeny of butterflies reveals their evolutionary history, ancestral hosts and biogeographic origins]</ref> The oldest American butterfly is from the later [[Eocene]] from the [[Florissant Formation]] fossil beds,<ref name="MeyerSmith2008">{{cite book |last1=Meyer |first1=Herbert William |last2=Smith |first2=Dena M . |title=Paleontology of the Upper Eocene Florissant Formation, Colorado |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-OcQecTR5_QC&pg=PA6 |year=2008 |publisher=Geological Society of America |isbn=978-0-8137-2435-5 |page=6 |access-date=8 January 2016 |archive-date=24 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160424121728/https://books.google.com/books?id=-OcQecTR5_QC&pg=PA6 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.faculty.ucr.edu/~legneref/identify/lepidopt.htm |title=Lepidoptera – Latest Classification |work=Discoveries in Natural History & Exploration |publisher=University of California |access-date=15 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120407055233/http://www.faculty.ucr.edu/~legneref/identify/lepidopt.htm |archive-date=7 April 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> about 34{{nbsp}}million years old.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = McIntosh | first1 = W.C. |display-authors=et al | year = 1992 | title = Calibration of the latest Eocene-Oligocene geomagnetic polarity time scale using 40Ar/39Ar dated ignimbrites | url = https://archive.org/details/sim_geology_1992-05_20_5/page/459 | journal = Geology | volume = 20 | issue = 5| pages = 459–463 | doi=10.1130/0091-7613(1992)020<0459:cotleo>2.3.co;2| bibcode = 1992Geo....20..459M }}</ref>

== Butterfly families ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Butterfly families
! Family !! Common name || Characteristics || Image
|-
| [[Hedylidae]] || American moth-butterflies || Small, brown, like [[Geometridae|geometrid moths]]; [[Antenna (biology)|antennae]] not clubbed; long slim abdomen || [[File:Macrosoma sp (Hedylidae) (15273846876).jpg|100px]] 
|-
| [[Hesperiidae]] || Skippers || Small, darting flight; clubs on antennae hooked backwards || [[File:Hesperia comma-01 (xndr).jpg|100px]]
|-
| [[Lycaenidae]] || Blues, coppers, hairstreaks || Small, brightly coloured; often have false heads with eyespots and small tails resembling antennae || [[File:Maculinea arion Large Blue Upperside SFrance 2009-07-18.jpg|100px]]
|-
| [[Nymphalidae]] || Brush-footed or four-footed butterflies || Usually have reduced forelegs, so appear four-legged; often brightly coloured || [[File:AD2009Aug01 Vanessa atalanta 01.jpg|100px]]
|-
| [[Papilionidae]] || Swallowtails || Often have 'tails' on wings; caterpillar generates foul taste with [[osmeterium]] organ; pupa supported by silk girdle || [[File:Papilio troilus01.jpg|100px]] 
|-
| [[Pieridae]] || Whites and allies || Mostly white, yellow or orange; some serious pests of ''[[Brassica]]''; pupa supported by silk girdle || [[File:Large white spread wings.jpg|100px]]
|-
| [[Riodinidae]] || Metalmarks|| Often have metallic spots on wings; often conspicuously coloured with black, orange and blue || [[File:RhetusButterfly.jpg|100px]] 
|}

=== Some colourful butterflies ===
<gallery class="center"> 
File:Yellow Jezebel ( UN ).jpg|Yellow jezebel 
File:Blue Pansy I IMG 6486.jpg|Blue pansy 
File:Callophrys Rubi Oulu 2007 05 27.JPG|Green hairstreak 
File:Gulf Fritillary Butterfly on a Lantana 18 crop 2.jpg|Gulf fritillary 
File:DirkvdM sara longwing-crop.jpg|Sara longwing 
File:Yamfly - Arunachal Pradesh.jpg|Yamfly 
File:Nymphalis Antiopa Oulu 2007 06 10.JPG|Camberwell beauty 
File:Common Blue Bottle I IMG 8918.jpg|Common bluebottle 
File:Common Mime - Papilio clytia (dissimilis form) on Jatropha panduraefolia in Kolkata Iws IMG 0217.jpg|Common mime 
File:Pale Grass Blue I IMG 6722.jpg|Pale grass blue 
File:Common Four-ring (Ypthima huebneri) in Kolkata Iws IMG 0303.jpg|Common four-ring 
File:Tit Butterfly I2 IMG 3272.jpg|Western blue sapphire 
File:Female Black Swallowtail Megan McCarty08.jpg|Black swallowtail 
File:Diaethria eluina.jpg|''Diaethria eluina''  
File:Common Grass Yellow.jpg|Common grass yellow 
File:B cool - Malay Lacewing (by).jpg|Malay lacewing
File:Tagpfauenaugen1.jpg|''Inachis io''
File:Parnassius phoebus.jpg|''Parnassius phoebus''
File:Red Helen (Papilio helenus) at Samsing, Duars, WB W IMG 6219.jpg|''Papilio helenus''
File:Schwalbenschwanz papilio machaon.jpg |''Papilio machaon''
</gallery>

=== Monarch butterfly gallery ===
<gallery class="center"> 
File:Monarch Butterfly Pink Zinnia 1800px.jpg|A monarch butterfly, with closed wings, feeding on [[nectar]] from a garden flower
File:Monarch Butterfly Danaus plexippus Laying Egg 2600px.jpg|A female butterfly laying eggs on "Swan plant".
File:Monarch Butterfly Danaus plexippus Vertical Caterpillar 2000px.jpg|The caterpillar of a monarch butterfly 
File:Monarch Butterfly Cocoon 3.jpg|The chrysalis of a monarch butterfly
</gallery>

== Related pages ==
*[[Differences between butterflies and moths]]
*[[Defence against predation]]
*[[Animal colour]]
*[[Moth]]
*[[Lepidoptera]]

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

== Further reading ==
* Boggs C; Watt W. & Ehrlich P. 2003. ''Butterflies: evolution and ecology: taking flight''. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, USA.
* Pyle R.M. 1992. ''Handbook for butterfly watchers''. Houghton Mifflin. {{ISBN|0-395-61629-8}}

{{commons|Butterfly}}

[[Category:Butterflies| ]]

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