Types of butterflies

Types of butterflies

Butterflies are one of the most interesting and interesting types of insects that exist on Earth, and there are at least 17,500 species of butterflies, and no less than 750 species in the United States of America, and butterflies can be classified into 6 families, and from these families:

Bouncy butterflies: (in English: Hesperiidae), and is divided into 5 sub-families, and it consists of 3,000 types of butterflies, and is usually small in size, fast moving, and is distinguished by its dark brown color, its long tail, and its wings are often orange, or Dark gray, white, or yellow, and contains squares, this type of butterflies are also known as (Skippers).

Copper butterflies: (In English: Lycaenidae), it is divided into 5 subfamilies, and it consists of 5,000 species in the world, and it is usually difficult to identify the butterflies of this family because of their small structure, color, and shape very similar to the hook-tailed butterflies.

Nymphs: (in English: Nymphalidae), and these butterflies are distinguished by that their front legs are shorter than their back legs, and they are one of the largest families of butterflies, and are divided into 10 sub-families that contain about 5,000 species, and are distinguished by their orange wings, and this type is usually found in residential areas, which are Large in size and clearly visible.

Hook-tailed butterflies: (in English: Papilionidae), and is characterized by the presence of a prominent tail at the bottom of its wings, and it is divided into 4 sub-families that include between 500-600 species of these butterflies, 30 species of which are found in the United States of America, and the size of these butterflies is large so they seem to slide Instead of flying, these butterflies have a thorn-like organ behind their head known as Osmeterium that emits a foul odor when exposed to danger.

Sprouts: (in English: Pieridae), and there are 60 species in the United States of America, and about 1,100 species around the world, and are distinguished by their white or yellow color, while there are other species that have wings with orange heads, or greenish marbling.

Riodinidae: There are about 12 species of them in the United States of America, and more than 1,000 species in the world, and they are characterized by their small size, and they are often rust colored.

The oldest butterfly found on Earth

Scientists found that butterflies were found on Earth before the presence of flowers, and this is what scientists found after analyzing the fossils found in northern Germany dating back 200 million years, and according to a 2017 study published in Nature Communications, the first flower found on Earth was before 140 million years.

The benefits of butterflies

Butterflies pollinate plants, or transfer pollen between them, which helps different plants of vegetables, fruits, and flowers to produce new seeds. This is for plants. As for animals, they participate in the food chain and provide food for birds, mammals, and other insects, especially when they are In the caterpillar stage.

Written by Dalia Obaid

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