There are many kinds of butterflies. According to relevant documents, there are more than 14,000 species of butterflies recorded in the world.

According to their morphological structure, evolutionary development, and kinship, entomologists divide the wide variety of butterflies into sixteen families, and each family is divided into several genera.

Distribution of butterflies.

Butterflies are found in all regions of the world, but the most diverse area is the Neotropics, India, Australia, and tropical Africa.

Among them, the neotropical region is mainly concentrated in the Amazon River Basin of South America. The tropical rainforests and rich vegetation in the region are home to one-third of the world's butterflies.

Many beautiful ornamental butterflies are also prolific in Brazil, Peru, and other countries in South America.

This is followed by the Toyo region and the Australia region, which is home to world species such as the golden-billed swallowtail and the bird-winged swallowtail, which are protected by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

What are the four stages in the life of a butterfly?

1. Fertilized egg.

Different species of butterflies have different egg sizes and generally lay their eggs on the leaves of plants.

2. Larvae.

After hatching, the larvae need to eat a lot, usually gnawing on the leaves of the plant and going through several peelings as they grow.

3. Pupa.

When the larvae mature, they use silk to anchor themselves in place to become pupae, usually in relatively hidden places on the undersides of plant leaves.

4. Adults.

When the pupa matures, the butterfly emerges from the pupa. But wings need time to dry and harden to fly freely.

Habits of butterflies.

Activity characteristics.

Butterflies are generally active during the day and rest at night. At night, butterflies usually live alone, but a few species still choose to live in groups, such as on tree bark, under leaves, and under rocks.

Feeding characteristics.

After the butterfly larvae bite the eggshell and hatch, some species will rest for a while, some species will directly eat the host plant, and some species will eat the eggshell first and then the plant.

Some species also need to feed on the old cuticle each time they molt.

Spawning characteristics.

Normally, most female butterflies lay their eggs on the plants of their host plants, but different species choose to lay their eggs in different locations. Eggs are laid in plant stems or bark folds.

Developmental characteristics.

Butterflies are completely spoiled insects. They go through four developmental stages throughout their lives, namely egg, larva, pupa, and adult.

The first three developmental stages are often referred to as larvae, while a butterfly's eggs develop from leaving the mother to sexual maturity as adults.

A process can be called a life cycle or life history.

Did you learn more about butterflies?