Species group · Insects

Butterflies

WAnimals has 15 species of butterfly, spread across 6 families (Erebidae, Geometridae, Nymphalidae, Papilionidae, Pieridae, Saturniidae).

15 species

6 families

125 countries

424 parks

All 15 species of butterflies on WAnimals

Each one has its own full profile. This group does not replace them: it brings them together.

11 Not Evaluated3 Least Concern1 Endangered

1 species in this group is in a threatened category according to the IUCN.

Recorded in 125 countries. The ones with the most species in the group:

The caterpillars feed exclusively on milkweed (Asclepias), which makes them toxic to many predators.
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The autumn migratory generation can live 6 to 9 months, far longer than the summer generations.
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It overwinters in vast colonies in the oyamel forests of Mexico and in California.
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Its scientific name, io, honours a priestess of Greek mythology.
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It lays as many as 500 eggs in large clusters on nettle leaves.
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The eyespots on its wings mimic the eyes of a large animal to startle predators.
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When disturbed it flicks open its forewings to show the red hindwings, a warning flash accompanied by the secretion of a toxic fluid from the back of the neck.
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Its populations have fallen by more than 90% in the United Kingdom since the 1980s, a decline documented by light-trap monitoring that has become one of the most cited examples of the collapse of European insects.