A butterfly 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.
