To Explore The World Of Lepidopterans Of Sri Lanka
Saturday, 29 June 2013
Butterfly
Lime Butterfly (Papilio demoleus)
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes 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. The earliest known butterfly fossils date to the paleocene epoch, 56 million years ago.
Butterflies exhibit polymorphism, mimicry and aposematism. Some, like the Monarch, will migrate
over long distances. Some butterflies have evolved symbiotic and
parasitic relationships with social insects such as ants. Some species
are pests because in their larval stages they can damage domestic crops
or trees; however, some species are agents of pollination of some plants, and caterpillars of a few butterflies eat harmful insects. Culturally, butterflies are a popular motif in the visual and literary arts. -Wikipedia-
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