A [color=species]butterfly[/color] is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts, egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. Butterflies comprise the true butterflies (superfamily Papilionoidea), the skippers (superfamily Hesperioidea) and the moth-butterflies (superfamily Hedyloidea). All the many other families within the Lepidoptera are referred to as moths.
This species commonly qualifies as an ambient species. See ambient butterfly for more details. Partial Taxonomy
- Family Hedylidae
- Macrosoma — American moth-butterfly
- Family Hesperiidae — skipper
- Subfamily Hesperiinae — grass skipper
- Tribe Hesperiini — branded grass skipper
- Family Lycaenidae — gossamer-winged butterfly
- Subfamily Polyommatinae
- Subfamily Theclinae — hairstreak
- Family Nymphalidae — brush-footed butterfly
- Subfamily Apaturinae
- Apatura emperor butterfly
- Subfamily Biblidinae — tropical brushfoot
- Subfamily Danainae
- Subfamily Nymphalinae
- Tribe Morphini
- Morpho — morpho butterfly
- blue morpho
- Morpho achilles — Achilles morpho
- Morpho cypris — Cypris blue morpho
- Morpho didius — Didius blue morpho
- Morpho helenor — Helenor blue morpho
- Morpho menelaus — Menelaus blue morpho
- Morpho peleides — Peleides blue morpho
- Morpho rhetenor — Rhetenor blue morpho
- Tribe Nymphalini
- Family Papillionidae — swallowtail butterfly
- Tribe Leptocircini
- Tribe Papilionini
- Tribe Parnassiini
- Tribe Preponini
- Tribe Troidini
- Tribe Victorinini
- Family Pieridae
- Tribe Anthocharini
- Tribe Coliadini
- Colias — clouded yellow
- Zerene — dogface
- Tribe Goniopterygini
- Tribe Pierini
- Family Riodinidae — metalmark butterfly
See also
