Information regarding the kingdom, class and phylum is quite indecisive, but the majority of sources agree that butterflies belong to the: Kingdom Animalia (Animal Kingdom), Phylum Arthropoda (invertebrate animals with exoskeletons, segmented bodies and jointed legs) and the Class Insecta (insects, arthropods with six legs, two antennae and a three-part body).
Another thing to consider when putting different animals into these groups is the order they belong to which, in this case, is Lepidoptera. This relates to the Greek word for "scales" which is Lepidos and "wing" which is Ptera. This is because their scaled wings are different to those of any other insect. Surprisingly, there are more different types of butterfly and moth than any other insect except the beetle. These different types of butterfly are divided between 135 families and consist of about 120,000 different species.
Butterflies have incredibly unusual life cycles, beginning as caterpillars, becoming pupae and emerging as butterflies at the end of their metamorphosis cycle. Most butterflies are renowned for their beautiful colors and delicate wings, meaning that they are often collected and studied. They also thrive on nectar meaning they are incredibly important insects for the pollination system.
Other strange facts about butterflies include the fact that their bodies are covered with very tiny sensory hairs that allow them to feel. The body is called the thorax and this is what the wings are attached to, meaning that the muscles that move the wings are in the thorax, too. Butterflies can only fly if their body temperature exceeds 86 degrees in their environment which is why they sit on flowers to sun themselves in cooler weather states. The fastest flying butterflies, called Skippers, can fly around 30 miles per hour, whereas, the slowest flying butterflies fly at approximately 5 miles an hour.
Another thing to consider when putting different animals into these groups is the order they belong to which, in this case, is Lepidoptera. This relates to the Greek word for "scales" which is Lepidos and "wing" which is Ptera. This is because their scaled wings are different to those of any other insect. Surprisingly, there are more different types of butterfly and moth than any other insect except the beetle. These different types of butterfly are divided between 135 families and consist of about 120,000 different species.
Butterflies have incredibly unusual life cycles, beginning as caterpillars, becoming pupae and emerging as butterflies at the end of their metamorphosis cycle. Most butterflies are renowned for their beautiful colors and delicate wings, meaning that they are often collected and studied. They also thrive on nectar meaning they are incredibly important insects for the pollination system.
Other strange facts about butterflies include the fact that their bodies are covered with very tiny sensory hairs that allow them to feel. The body is called the thorax and this is what the wings are attached to, meaning that the muscles that move the wings are in the thorax, too. Butterflies can only fly if their body temperature exceeds 86 degrees in their environment which is why they sit on flowers to sun themselves in cooler weather states. The fastest flying butterflies, called Skippers, can fly around 30 miles per hour, whereas, the slowest flying butterflies fly at approximately 5 miles an hour.
