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BugInfo

Butter!ies
Numbers of species. Due to their bright colors and visits to flowers, buKerflies are the most familiar of insects
BugInfo
to humans. There are about 17,500 species of buKerflies in the world, and around 750 species in the United
States. Fun Facts About Bugs

Dis0nc0ve characteris0cs. BuKerflies (and moths) are the only group of insects that have scales covering their Incredible Insects
wings, although some buKerflies have reduced scales. They differ from other insects also by their ability to coil
up their proboscis. Numbers of Insects

Immatures. Caterpillars are the names given to the larvae of both buKerflies and moths. They are usually very Benefits of Insects
disUncUve, and in some cases may be idenUfied more easily than the adults. When they are developing, their
skin may be shed four or more Umes, with each molt oYen changing the coloraUon and appearance of the Insects as Food for Humans
caterpillar. They eat voraciously to transform plant material into Ussues that they will need for metamorphosis.
Diseases Caused by Insects
Plant associa0ons. BuKerflies are commonly associated with plants, and the relaUonship is someUmes
Insects in Winter
complex. Immatures, with few excepUons, eat plants, and therefore may be considered harmful to the plants.
However, buKerflies are very important to many plants that are dependent upon flower-visiUng insects for
Insect Flight
cross-pollinaUon. Most buKerfly caterpillars eat one, or someUmes several, related species of plants. Usually
the choice is made by the adult female when deposiUng eggs. Adults usually feed on nectar from flowers of MaUng in Insects
plants, although many buKerflies feed instead on ro\ng fruit, dung, etc., especially in the tropics.
Pheromones
Migra0on. BuKerfly migraUon is best exemplified by the Monarch, which is widely known to migrate in the fall
to overwintering sites in California and Mexico. But in the United States, several other buKerfly species Insects as Pets
engage in lesser migraUon distances. Some of these are the Buckeye, the Painted Lady, the Purple Wing, the
Great Southern White, the Cloudless Sulphur, and the LiKle Sulphur. Backyard Bugs

Wing colors in buKerflies appear in two types, pigment and structural, frequently combined in one individual. True Flies
Pigment colors are familiar in paints, dyes, and inks, and are defined as specific substances with definite
chemical composiUon. Structural colors are instead produced in a physical manner, similar to a rainbow. Wasps, Ants, and Bees
Morpho buKerflies are the usual example of buKerflies with structural color.
Africanized Bees

Vision. The vision of buKerflies appears to be excellent, especially within short distances. They are able to fly
Carpenter Ants
with precision in areas of many obstacles.

Cicada Killer Wasps

Ma0ng Behavior. Females are usually able to engage in maUng on the day of emergence, but males do not
normally mate for several days. Courtship rituals vary widely among species. Beetles

Classifica0on. BuKerflies are currently, with some arguments, placed into the following six families: BuKerflies

Hesperiidae. Known as "Skippers," containing relaUvely small, fast-flying species. About 3,000 BuKerflies in the U.S.
worldwide species.
Monarch BuKerflies
Lycaenidae. Blues, Hairstreaks and Coppers. Colors and paKerns of sexes oYen differ. Over 5,000 world
species. Moths

Gypsy Moths
Nymphalidae. Known as "Brush-footed" buKerflies, contains many subfamilies. There are some 5,000
worldwide species.
Drawing Insects

Papilionidae. Known as "Swallowtail, buKerflies, most species have prominent "tails." Some 600 species True Bugs
in the world.
Insect and Mite Galls
Pieridae. Known as "Yellows and Whites, they have those colors predominantly. More than 1,000
worldwide species. Science Fair Projects

Riodinidae. Known as metalmarks, are someUmes placed in the Family Lycaenidae. About 1,000 species State Insects
in the world.

The Lepidoptera CollecUon of the Smithsonian's NaUonal Museum of Natural History has over 4 million
specimens—including buKerflies, moths, and skippers.

Selected References:
Carter, David. 1992. BuKerflies and Moths (Eyewitness Handbooks). Dorling Kindersley, Inc., New York.
Opler, P. A. and Krizek, G. O. 1984. BuKerflies East of the Great Plains. Johns Hopkins University Press,
BalUmore.
Opler, P. A. and Malikul, V. 1992. A Field Guide to Eastern BuKerflies. Houghton Mifflin, Boston.
Pyle, R. M. 1981. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American BuKerflies. Alfred A. Knopf, New
York.
ScoK, J. A. 1986. The BuKerflies of North America. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California.

Prepared by the Department of SystemaUc Biology, Entomology SecUon,

NaUonal Museum of Natural History, in cooperaUon with Public Inquiry Services,
Smithsonian InsUtuUon

InformaUon Sheet Number 168. 1996

NMNH - Education & Outreach NMNH - Education & Outreach NMNH - Entomology Dept.
Leafwing BuHerfly Giant Swallowtail Parides tros

NMNH - Education & Outreach NMNH - Education & Outreach NMNH - Education & Outreach
Malachite BuHerfly Zebra Swallowtail, Zebra BuHerfly Milkweed
Swallowtail

NMNH - Entomology Dept. NMNH - Entomology Dept.

Papilio daunus NMNH - Education & Outreach Colias wiskoN
Green-banded Swallowtail,
Blue-banded Swallowtail

NMNH - Entomology Dept.

Papilio rutulus
Smithsonian American Art Museum
BuHerfly 6 NMNH - Entomology Dept.
Parides agavus

NMNH - Entomology Dept.

NMNH - Entomology Dept.
Colias philodice NMNH - Education & Outreach Colias philodice f. nigrofasciata
Black Swallowtail, American
Swallowtail

NMNH - Entomology Dept.

NMNH - Entomology Dept.
Papilio marcellus Colias phicomene
NMNH - Entomology Dept.
Colias stoliczkana

NMNH - Entomology Dept.

NMNH - Entomology Dept.
Papilio nezahualcoyotl Papilio ponceana
NMNH - Entomology Dept.
Colias croceus

NMNH - Education & Outreach

NMNH - Entomology Dept.
Colias electo Tiger Swallowtail
NMNH - Entomology Dept.
Colias thisoa

NMNH - Education & Outreach

NMNH - Entomology Dept.
Papilio eurymedon Laurel Swallowtail, Palamedes
NMNH - Entomology Dept. Swallowtail
Colias electo

NMNH - Education & Outreach

Spicebush Swallowtail NMNH - Entomology Dept.

NMNH - Entomology Dept. Papilio calverleyi

Papilio indra minori

NMNH - Entomology Dept.

Papilio socama NMNH - Education & Outreach

NMNH - Education & Outreach Constan0ne's Swallowtail

Zebra Swallowtail, Zebra
Swallowtail

NMNH - Entomology Dept.

Colias hyperborea NMNH - Entomology Dept.
Colias staudingeri

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