Phobetron pithecium

Phobetron pithecium, the hag moth, is a moth  of the family Limacodidae. Its larva is known as the monkey slug.

Calliteara pudibunda

Calliteara pudibunda, the pale tussock, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The Dutch common name for the moth (Meriansborstel) comes from the butterfly and insect painter Maria Sibylla Merian. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. It is found in Asia and Europe.

Acronicta funeralis

Acronicta funeralis, the funerary dagger moth  or paddle caterpillar, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote and Coleman Townsend Robinson in 1866.[1] It has a scattered distribution. It is found in North America from Manitoba to Nova Scotia, south to Maryland. It is also found in Georgia, Mississippi, Texas, and along the west-coast from California to British Columbia.

Sphingidae

The Sphingidae are a family of moths  commonly called sphinx moths, also colloquially known as hawk moths, with many of their caterpillars known as hornworms. It includes about 1,450 species.[1] It is best represented in the tropics, but species are found in every region.[2] They are moderate to large in size and are distinguished among moths for their agile and sustained flying ability, similar enough to that of hummingbirds as to be reliably mistaken for them.[2] Their narrow wings and streamlined abdomens are adaptations for rapid flight. The family was named by French zoologist Pierre André Latreille in 1802.

Sphinx ligustri

Sphinx ligustri, the privet hawk moth, is a moth found in most of the Palearctic realm. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.

Garden tiger moth

The garden tiger moth or great tiger moth[2] (Arctia caja) is a moth of the family Erebidae. Arctia caja is a northern species found in the US, Canada, and Europe.[3][4] The moth prefers cold climates with temperate seasonality, as the larvae overwinter,[3] and preferentially chooses host plants that produce pyrrolizidine alkaloids.[5][6][3] However, garden tiger moths are generalists, and will pick many different plants to use as larval host plants.[5][4][3]

Mullein moth

The mullein moth (Cucullia verbasci) is a noctuid moth with a Palearctic distribution. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.

Male Euthrix potatoria

Euthrix potatoria, the drinker, is an orange-brown moth of the family Lasiocampidae.[

Female Euthrix potatoria

Euthrix potatoria, the drinker, is an orange-brown moth of the family Lasiocampidae.[

Monarch butterfly

The monarch butterfly or simply monarch  (Danaus plexippus) is a milkweed butterfly  (subfamily Danainae) in the family Nymphalidae.[6] Other common names, depending on region, include milkweed, common tiger, wanderer, and black-veined brown.[7] It is among the most familiar of North American butterflies and an iconic pollinator,[8] although it is not an especially effective pollinator of milkweeds.[9] Its wings feature an easily recognizable black, orange, and white pattern, with a wingspan of 8.9–10.2 cm (3.5–4.0 in).[10] A Müllerian mimic, the viceroy butterfly, is similar in color and pattern, but is markedly smaller and has an extra black stripe across each hindwing.

Aglais io

Aglais io, the European peacock,[3][4][5] or the peacock butterfly, is a colourful butterfly, found in Europe and temperate Asia as far east as Japan. The peacock butterfly is resident in much of its range, often wintering in buildings or trees. It therefore often appears quite early in spring.

Megalopyge opercularis

Megalopyge opercularis is a moth of the family Megalopygidae. It has numerous common names, including southern flannel moth for its adult form, and puss caterpillar, asp, Italian asp, fire caterpillar, woolly slug, opossum bug,[3] puss moth, tree asp, asp caterpillar, and Donald Trump caterpillar[4] for its juvenile form.

Giant leopard moth

The giant leopard moth (Hypercompe scribonia) is a moth of the family Erebidae. They are distributed through North America from southern Ontario, and southern and eastern United States through New England, Mexico, and south to Colombia.[2][3] The obsolete name, Ecpantheria scribonia, is still occasionally encountered.

Papilio polyxenes

Papilio polyxenes, the (eastern) black swallowtail, American swallowtail or parsnip swallowtail,[4] is a butterfly found throughout much of North America. An extremely similar-appearing species, Papilio joanae, occurs in the Ozark Mountains region, but it appears to be closely related to Papilio machaon, rather than P. polyxenes. The species is named after the figure in Greek mythology, Polyxena  (pron.: /pəˈlɪksɨnə/; Greek: Πολυξένη), who was the youngest daughter of King Priam of Troy. Its caterpillar is called the parsley worm  because the caterpillar feeds on parsley.[4]

Acronicta americana

Acronicta americana, the American dagger moth, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It was originally described by Thaddeus William Harris in 1841 and is native to North America.

Saddleback caterpillar

The saddleback caterpillar (Acharia stimuli, formerly Sibine stimulea) is the larva of a species of moth native to eastern North America. It is also found in Mexico.[1] The species belongs to the family of slug caterpillars, Limacodidae.

Eacles imperialis

Eacles imperialis, the imperial moth, is a member of the family Saturniidae and subfamily Ceratocampinae. It is found mainly in the East of South America and North America, from the center of Argentina to south Canada.[1] The species was first described by Dru Drury in 1773.

Antheraea polyphemus

Antheraea polyphemus, the Polyphemus moth, is a North American member of the family Saturniidae, the giant silk moths. It is a tan-colored moth, with an average wingspan  of 15 cm (6 in). The most notable feature of the moth is its large, purplish eyespots on its two hindwings. The eyespots give it its name – from the Greek myth of the cyclops Polyphemus. The species was first described by Pieter Cramer in 1776. The species is widespread in continental North America, with local populations found throughout subarctic Canada and the United States. The caterpillar can eat 86,000 times its weight at emergence in a little less than two months. Polyphemus moths are considered to be very polyphagous, meaning they eat from a wide variety of plants.[2]

Citheronia regalis

Citheronia regalis, the regal moth or royal walnut moth, is a North American moth in the family Saturniidae. The caterpillars are called hickory horned devils. The adult (imago) has a wingspan of 3.75–6.1 in (9.5–15.5 cm). The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1793.

Male papilio glaucus

Papilio glaucus, the eastern tiger swallowtail, is a species of butterfly native to eastern North America. It is one of the most familiar butterflies in the eastern United States,[3] ranging north to southern Ontario, Canada,[4] and is common in many different habitats. It flies from spring until fall, during which it produces two to three broods. Adults feed on the nectar of many species of flowers, mostly from those of the families Apocynaceae, Asteraceae, and Fabaceae. P. glaucus has a wingspan measuring 7.9 to 14 cm (3.1 to 5.5 in). The male is yellow with four black "tiger stripes" on each forewing. Females may be either yellow or black, making them dimorphic. The yellow morph is similar to the male, but with a conspicuous band of blue spots along the hindwing, while the dark morph is almost completely black.

Butterfly pictures, many types of butterflies and information

Shared contents 
Caterpillar pictures, many types of caterpillars and information

Monarch butterfly

The monarch butterfly or simply monarch  (Danaus plexippus) is a milkweed butterfly  (subfamily Danainae) in the family Nymphalidae.[6] Other common names, depending on region, include milkweed, common tiger, wanderer, and black-veined brown.[7] It is among the most familiar of North American butterflies and an iconic pollinator,[8] although it is not an especially effective pollinator of milkweeds.[9] Its wings feature an easily recognizable black, orange, and white pattern, with a wingspan of 8.9–10.2 cm (3.5–4.0 in).[10] A Müllerian mimic, the viceroy butterfly, is similar in color and pattern, but is markedly smaller and has an extra black stripe across each hindwing.

Butterfly pictures, many types of butterflies and information

Shared contents 
Caterpillar pictures, many types of caterpillars and information

Egg (Butterfly Stage)

The female butterfly lays the egg on the surface of a leaf or a stem. The egg is tiny, oval or cylindrical and varies in colour. The popular larvae form of a butterfly known as the caterpillar gradually grows inside the egg. These eggs hatch according to the favourable conditions outside, if it’s warm the eggs faster otherwise it takes a few weeks.

Larva (Butterfly Stage)

The larvae or in this case a caterpillar that hatches goes on an eating rampage. In this stage, they eat, moult and repeat that process constantly. After hatching the caterpillar is extremely hungry and eats constantly. The caterpillar eats its way out of the egg and then continues to eat plants in the outside world.

Pupa (Butterfly Stage)

The caterpillar forms a vessel around it, called the ‘pupa’. Inside the pupa, the caterpillar gradually grows and develops. During this stage, the pupa creates skins around the vessel that makes the exterior hard. The chrysalis protects the pupa till it transforms into a butterfly and breaks out of the vessel.

Adult (Butterfly Stage)

The most prominent stage known to human beings is the adult stage when the Chrysalis breaks out of the vessel with colourful scaly wings. At first, these scaly wings are folded against the body of the butterfly because of its brittle nature. Once it pumps blood into the wing the butterfly flies in search of food and other butterflies to mate with. After the mating is completed, the female butterfly lays eggs on a leaf or flat surface and the whole cycle begins all over again.

The Butterfly Life Cycle

The butterfly and moth develop through a process called metamorphosis. This is a Greek word that means transformation or change in shape.

Insects have two common types of metamorphosis. Grasshoppers, crickets, dragonflies, and cockroaches have incomplete metamorphosis. The young (called a nymph) usually look like small adults but without the wings.

Butterflies, moths, beetles, flies and bees have complete metamorphosis. The young (called a larva instead of a nymph) is very different from the adults. It also usually eats different types of food.

There are four stages in the metamorphosis of butterflies and moths: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.

Swallowtail butterfly

Swallowtail butterflies are large, colorful butterflies in the family Papilionidae, and include over 550 species. Though the majority are tropical, members of the family inhabit every continent except Antarctica. The family includes the largest butterflies in the world, the birdwing butterflies of the genus Ornithoptera.[1]

Sea Butterfly (Thecosomata)

Sea butterflies aren't typical marine gastropods. These free-floating creatures have evolved unique physical features over time. 

Often delicate and transparent, their shells are mostly non-existent or greatly diminished in some families. Their snail foot has evolved significantly into wing-like lobes that help them navigate the ocean’s currents.

Its shells are made of calcium with varying shapes, from needle-like to globular. These structures measure less than half an inch, invisible to the naked eye.

Recognized as one of the most populous gastropod species, Sea Butterflies play a crucial role in the oceanic food chain and carbon cycle. Their size masks their immense ecological influence4 beneath our oceans' surface.

Caterpillars are not separate species, but they are larvae of butterflies and moths

Are caterpillars insects? The answer is yes, but they are an incomplete form of certain insects4. Caterpillars are the larval stage of 180,000 insects belonging to the order Lepidoptera, which includes butterflies and moths. Caterpillars develop to become their winged adult form.

Generally, caterpillars have a cylindrical body shape with a segmented structure. Each body segment typically bears a pair of legs. 

They live on every continent except Antarctica. Some countries known for their diverse caterpillar populations include the United States, Brazil, Australia, India, China, and African and European countries.