Butterflies are insects. Butterflies fly in the day. Most moths fly at night.

Butterflies have three pairs of legs. That is six legs in all. They have two feelers.

They have four wings. Two are in front. Two are in back. Tiny scales cover the wings.

Adult butterflies drink sweet nectar from flowers. They taste with their feet.

A caterpillar eats and grows. It sheds its skin as it gets bigger. This is called molting. An adult butterfly does not get bigger.

A monarch egg hatches after a few days. Usually it is about four days.

A monarch has orange wings with black edges. Its bright colors warn birds that it tastes bad.

In fall, many monarchs fly far away. They go to a warmer place for the winter.

As of November 2026, the biggest butterfly is Queen Alexandra's birdwing. Its wings can spread about one foot (30 cm) across.

Words to know

• molting: shedding skin
• nectar: sweet drink