Types Of Butterflies

There are different types of butterflies which are found worldwide, mainly in densely forested tropical regions. They can also be seen in forest, fields and also in residential areas. There are about 15000 to 20000 species of butterflies which are found around the globe.

Types of butterflies

When we speak of types of butterflies, we usually refer to the different families and subfamilies of butterflies. Let’s have a look at some of the species of butterflies.

* Papilionidae: The Swallowtails and Birdwings are the common types of butterflies in this family. They have extended tails at the bottom of their wings. Some of the butterflies in this family are the Common Yellow Swallowtail, Spicebush Swallowtail and Lime Butterfly.

* Pieridae: The whites and sulphurs (yellows) belong to this family. They are usually seen in fields, yards and gardens. They are instantly identified by their color. The caterpillar of this species is found in garden vegetables. The common butterflies in this family are Cabbage White Butterfly, Green-Veined White and Common Jezebel.

* Lycaenidae: This family consists of the gossamer winged butterflies. They are usually small butterflies. The butterflies in its subfamilies are similar looking and are very difficult to identify. The other members of this family are Coppers, Hairstreaks and Elfins.

* Riodinidae: They are characteristically small brown butterflies which are found in the Southwest and Rio Grande valley. The Metalmark butterflies belong to this family.

* Nymphalidae: This is largest family of butterflies. The Brush-footed butterflies belong to this family. There are many subfamilies, genera and species of this family. The common butterflies in this family are painted ladies, Monarchs, fritillaries, Crescents, Commas and Tortoiseshells.

* Hesperiidae: The Skippers belong to this family. They are small brown butterflies that hop from flower to flower and close their wings completely while resting (except Spreadwing Skippers). These butterflies are also known to have large eyes. Some common skippers are Longtails, Flashers, Cloudywings and Skipperlings.

These types of butterflies are found in all the fifty states of the U.S. The names of the species generally reflect the characteristics of the members of the respective species. It is sometimes simple to identify particular species, for instance the most common white and yellow butterflies, while some species are very difficult to identify, like the gossamer-winged butterflies. The only common characteristic in them is that they all share a blue color. Apart from this, it is not easy to distinguish between the butterflies of this family.