Butterflies are insects that make up the Lepidoptera order (from the Greek lepido = flake and pteron = wing). These tiny flakes, which are like dust, are arranged like shingles on a roof on the wings and does not own any other insect. There are butterflies and moths which we call moths.

With 265,000 species of butterflies are the second animal group after beetles (300,000) with the greatest diversity of species on earth. Of these only 20,000 species are butterflies, the rest are moths, there are 12 times more moths butterflies.

They are tiny scales responsible for the colour and patterns of their wings. These scales are arranged like shingles on a roof on the wings give name to butterflies (LEPIDO = flake and pteron = wing) and does not own any other insect.

Four: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and adult

Yes. The dust has no function in flight, is what gives color to the wings and are lost naturally by aging. When we catch a butterfly wing fracturamos him, that’s the reason that after not fly.

The half-life of 1-3 weeks. The species that hibernate can live for several months due to decrease their activity and reduce their metabolism.

They feed mainly on nectar from flowers. They also like ripe fruit sucking the sap of certain trees and even animal secretions such as sweat tears or urine, from which they obtain minerals. Some species of moths do not feed, for that reason do not live more than 3-6 days.

There are two sexes, male and female. After mating lasting 24 hours on average the female lays between 50 and 1000 eggs. Each species of butterfly has a specific plant to lay eggs and the female must find because only in that plant can feed the caterpillars. The female butterfly mates only once in her life.