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
Origin and distribution
Butterflies are nested within the evolutionary tree of moths. Their origins may date back to the Cretaceous Period, ending 65 million years ago.[1] Unfortunately, the fossil record is very limited. The oldest known fossil is an unnamed possible skipper butterfly from the Upper Palaeocene (around 57 million year old) of Fur, Denmark [2]. One of the most beautifully preserved is a Metalmark butterfly (Voltinia dramba) from 25 million year old Dominican amber[3].
Butterflies are today distributed throughout the world except in the very cold and arid regions. There are an estimated 17,500 species of butterflies (Papilionoidea) out of about 180,000 species of Lepidoptera
Classification
Presently butterflies are classified in three superfamilies, Hedyloidea, consisting of the 'American moth-butterflies', Hesperioidea, consisting of the 'skippers' and Papilionoidea or 'true butterflies'. The last two superfamilies are probably sister taxa, so the butterflies collectively are thought to constitute a natural group or clade.
The scope of the term butterfly depends on how far the concept is extended. Currently, most experts include the superfamilies Hedyloidea (the American moth-butterflies), Hesperioidea (the skippers) and Papilionoidea (the so-called 'true' butterflies). This concept of butterflies including the Hedyloidea is a recently expanded one, but it makes the group a natural clade, the Rhopalocera.[6]
Butterfly families
The five families of true butterflies usually recognized in the Papilionoidea are:-
Family Papilionidae, the Swallowtails, Apollos and Birdwings
Family Pieridae, the Whites and Yellows
Family Lycaenidae, the Blues and Coppers, also called the Gossamer-Winged Butterflies
Family Riodinidae, the Metalmark butterflies
Family Nymphalidae, the Brush-footed butterflies
The superfamily Hesperioidea comprises one family only, albeit a large one, the skippers of family Hesperiidae, whereas the superfamily Hedyloidea also consists of a single family Hedylidae with about 40 species.[7]
Taxonomic issues
A study combining morphological and molecular data concluded that Hesperiidae, Papilionidae, Pieridae, Lycaenidae and Riodinidae could all be strongly supported as monophyletic groups, but the monophyletic status of Nymphalidae is uncertain. Lycaenidae and Riodinidae were confirmed as sister taxa, and Papilionidae as the outgroup to the rest of the true butterflies, but the location of Pieridae within the pattern of descent was unclear, with different lines of evidence suggesting different conclusions. The data suggested that the Hedyloidea are indeed more closely related to the butterflies than to other moths.[8]
Some older classifications recognize additional families, for example Danaidae, Heliconiidae, Libytheidae and Satyridae, but modern classifications treat these as subfamilies within the Nymphalidae.
Butterflies and moths
Main article: Differences between butterflies and moths
The dichotomous classification of lepidopterans into butterflies and moths is one that is popular but not used in taxonomy. The folk groups of butterflies and moths can be distinguished using several features but there are exceptions to most of these rules
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
Origin and distribution
Butterflies are nested within the evolutionary tree of moths. Their origins may date back to the Cretaceous Period, ending 65 million years ago.[1] Unfortunately, the fossil record is very limited. The oldest known fossil is an unnamed possible skipper butterfly from the Upper Palaeocene (around 57 million year old) of Fur, Denmark [2]. One of the most beautifully preserved is a Metalmark butterfly (Voltinia dramba) from 25 million year old Dominican amber[3].
Butterflies are today distributed throughout the world except in the very cold and arid regions. There are an estimated 17,500 species of butterflies (Papilionoidea) out of about 180,000 species of Lepidoptera
Classification
Presently butterflies are classified in three superfamilies, Hedyloidea, consisting of the 'American moth-butterflies', Hesperioidea, consisting of the 'skippers' and Papilionoidea or 'true butterflies'. The last two superfamilies are probably sister taxa, so the butterflies collectively are thought to constitute a natural group or clade.
The scope of the term butterfly depends on how far the concept is extended. Currently, most experts include the superfamilies Hedyloidea (the American moth-butterflies), Hesperioidea (the skippers) and Papilionoidea (the so-called 'true' butterflies). This concept of butterflies including the Hedyloidea is a recently expanded one, but it makes the group a natural clade, the Rhopalocera.[6]
Butterfly families
The five families of true butterflies usually recognized in the Papilionoidea are:-
Family Papilionidae, the Swallowtails, Apollos and Birdwings
Family Pieridae, the Whites and Yellows
Family Lycaenidae, the Blues and Coppers, also called the Gossamer-Winged Butterflies
Family Riodinidae, the Metalmark butterflies
Family Nymphalidae, the Brush-footed butterflies
The superfamily Hesperioidea comprises one family only, albeit a large one, the skippers of family Hesperiidae, whereas the superfamily Hedyloidea also consists of a single family Hedylidae with about 40 species.[7]
Taxonomic issues
A study combining morphological and molecular data concluded that Hesperiidae, Papilionidae, Pieridae, Lycaenidae and Riodinidae could all be strongly supported as monophyletic groups, but the monophyletic status of Nymphalidae is uncertain. Lycaenidae and Riodinidae were confirmed as sister taxa, and Papilionidae as the outgroup to the rest of the true butterflies, but the location of Pieridae within the pattern of descent was unclear, with different lines of evidence suggesting different conclusions. The data suggested that the Hedyloidea are indeed more closely related to the butterflies than to other moths.[8]
Some older classifications recognize additional families, for example Danaidae, Heliconiidae, Libytheidae and Satyridae, but modern classifications treat these as subfamilies within the Nymphalidae.
Butterflies and moths
Main article: Differences between butterflies and moths
The dichotomous classification of lepidopterans into butterflies and moths is one that is popular but not used in taxonomy. The folk groups of butterflies and moths can be distinguished using several features but there are exceptions to most of these rules
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