They have been called "flying jewels" but we know them as "butterflies."
Lepidoptera–"lepido" meaning scales and "ptera" meaning wing or scaly wing–is the scientific name for two of the most common and well known of all insects, butterflies and moths.
Butterflies and moths are the second largest order of insects, consisting of over 100,000 known species, with thousands still undescribed. They live on every continent, wherever insect life is possible,–even at 20,000 feet (6 kilometers) in the Himalayas.
Generally, the sizes of the wingspans of butterflies and moths range from 1/8th of an inch (3 millimeters) to 11 inches (28 centimeters). However, the Queen Alexandra butterfly of New Guinea has a wingspan of 12-1/2 inches (32 centimeters), and the Owlet moth of South America has a wingspan of 12 inches (30.5 centimeters), exceeding that of many birds.
Approximately 12,000 known species of butterflies and moths live in the United States. The largest butterfly, aptly named Giant Swallowtail, measures 5 inches (13 centimeters) from tip to tip of its expanded wing. The smallest of all butterflies is the North American Pygmy Blue, with barely a 1/2-inch (1.27 centimeters) wingspan.
The scales on the wings of butterflies and moths contain pigment or colored matter, and they overlap on the wings like house shingles. Containing air, the scales are lightweight and serve as excellent insulators. Where scales are lacking, the wings are transparent. Touching the wings gives one the sensation that dust or delicate powder has come off on one’s finger.
The gorgeous colors and patterns of wings serve many purposes, namely: camouflage and temperature control; recognition of the same species by males and females; and, finally, an alert to predators that this creature tastes awful.
A member of the Lepidoptera order has a proboscis–a long, hollow, flexible "tongue" like a soda straw–that uncoils to sip sweet nectar. The North American Monarch butterfly’s taste is more than 2,000 times as sensitive as the human tongue. Not all butterflies live on nectar. Some are attracted to rotting fruits and a few prefer the flesh of dead animals.
Lepidoptera have two large sensitive compound eyes that see movement and they are capable of full-color, panoramic sight.
Evidently, some butterflies and moths give off odors or scents to attract a mate or ward off enemies. To us, many male butterflies smell like flowers or spice, but the female odors are most disagreeable.
FAMILY: Lycaenidae
GENUS: Lycaena
SPECIES: (Various)