Why Butterfly is an insect?
Butterflies are insects because Insects are a six-legged group of arthropods that comprise the largest branch of the class Insecta. Insects have a hard, protective exterior that covers their body called an exoskeleton; they have three parts to their body (head, thorax, and abdomen), they have three pairs of jointed legs, they have compound eyes and a single pair of antennae, and butterflies seem to have all these attributes.
Butterflies belong to the class Insecta. This class has more than one million described species. Other examples of insects are ants, bees, and wasps. The word insect is from the Latin word insectum, which literally means segmented.
The features that distinguish butterflies from other insects are: They possess a long proboscis which is used for sucking nectar from flowers. They have antennae in the shape of knobs or clubs on their heads. Butterflies also have four wings covered with tiny scales.
The earliest known butterfly date to the mid-Eocene epoch of the Paleogene period, about 56 million years ago. There are about 18,500 species of butterflies which makes up over 10% of all known species of living organisms on Earth. It is estimated that about 200,000 species of Lepidoptera are still undescribed, most of them close relatives of moths.
The largest diversity of butterflies occurs in tropical regions, with some 880 genera and more than 16,000 species present. There are about five times fewer species in temperate regions than in tropical regions. The smallest butterflies are some pygmy moth species of the tribe Lithosiini whose wingspans do not exceed 10 mm (0.39 in). The largest butterflies are members of the genus Ornithoptera in the birdwing family (Troides and Ornithoptera).
Is a butterfly a bird?
The answer is no; butterflies are not birds.
Butterflies are flying insects. They belong to the order of Lepidoptera, which also includes moths and skippers. Butterflies and moths have similar body structures, but there are differences in their antennae, wings scales, and mouthparts.
Birds belong to the class of Aves. They have feathers, wings, lay eggs, and are warm-blooded.
It is important to note that some insects can fly like bees, dragonflies, grasshoppers, and ants.
Is a butterfly a small insect?
Yes, butterflies are small insects.
Butterflies are Lepidoptera in the order Lepidoptera, as well as moths. Their wing colors and unmistakable flight are spectacular.
The taxon comprises the large superfamily Papilionoidea, which contains the former groups of skippers (previously, the superfamily Hesperioidea) and moth-butterflies (previously, the superfamily Hedyloidea). Fossilized butterfly species date back to the Paleocene era, which occurred about 56 million years ago.
What insect turns into a butterfly?
The caterpillar transforms completely into a butterfly.
The caterpillar feeds on leaves and plants. It grows bigger, molts its skin several times, and forms a protective chrysalis around itself. Inside the chrysalis, the caterpillar turns into a butterfly.
When the transformation is complete, the Butterfly breaks out of its chrysalis. Its wings are soft and wrinkled to start with, but it soon pumps them full of blood, inflating them so that they look like the beautiful wings of an adult butterfly.
The Butterfly is an insect; therefore, by definition, all of the Butterfly’s common names are also insects.
