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What is a butterfly? Butterflies belong to the class Insecta With around one million named species and perhaps many more unnamed, insects account for a great majority of the species of animals on earth. Butterflies are in the order of insects called Lepidoptera. Lepidoptera is derived from the Latin word “lepido” which means scale + “ptera” which means wings. Butterflies have a head, thorax, abdomen, two antennae, six legs and a coiled proboscis for drinking liquids such as flower nectar. Butterflies have four wings that are usually covered by colored scales. Butterflies are very important in our world. There are more than 20,000 different kinds of butterflies in the world. With the majority being found in tropical environments. Butterflies are important as plant pollinators and as food for other animals (birds, mammals, spiders, and other insects). Butterflies are also very sensitive to changes in the environment, and help warn us about unhealthy changes that are taking place. Butterflies are gaining attention as wildlife worthy of conservation efforts. Many conservation groups have also taken action to promote the protection of butterflies whose populations are declining. From:www.butterfly.com |
