The order Lepidoptera refers to moths and butterflies. Their name comes from Greek words meaning "scale" and "wing" due to the tiny scales covering their wings. Lepidoptera undergo a complete life cycle from egg to caterpillar to pupa and finally adult. As caterpillars, they eat plants and trees, but as adults they feed on nectar from flowers. Butterflies are distinguished from moths by their clubbed antennas and wing posture at rest. These insects play an important role in pollination but can also damage crops as caterpillars.

1. Order Lepidoptera By: Paige Carleton

2. Meaning behind Lepidoptera Comes from Greek language: Lepido meaning “scale” Ptera meaning “wing” This makes sense because the insects in this order all have wings in their adult stage and the scales refer to the small flakes that coats the wings of these insects.

5. After the caterpillars hatch, they usually develop through 4 to 7 instars over a period of a few weeks.

7. Common Characteristics One ocelli, simple eye with simple lens, present above each eye. Antennae present. Butterflies have clubbed antennas. Mouth parts are formed into a sucking tube known as a proboscis.

8. Anatomy of a Butterfly

9. Feeding Habits Most larvae of moths and butterflies are neroivores Either eating foliage or wood Some are carnivorous Eating other caterpillars Feeding on soft bodied insects Adults are generally nectar feeders

12. Beautiful But Destructive Insects in this order are usually seen and noticed by their beauty, but they can be harmful for farmer’s crops. The larvae of these insects are destructive to crops and forest trees because they eat plants in this stage.

13. Why are butterflies so colorful? Sometimes the colors are bright and are intended to warn away potential predators. This indicates that they taste bad to a predator. Other times the bright colors are meant to attract mates. Some are colored to look very much like a food plant in order to help the insect hide.

14. Fun Facts Butterflies range in size from a tiny 1/8 inch to a huge almost 12 inches The top butterfly flight speed is 12 miles per hour. Some moths can fly 25 miles per hour! Butterflies cannot fly if their body temperature is less than 86 degrees

15. Work cited Bartlett, Tony. "Order Lepidoptera." Bug Guide. Iowa State University, 15 Jan. 2010. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. <http://bugguide.net/node/view/57>. "Butterflies and wildflowers." Prairie frontier. Prairie frontier, 2010. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. <http://www.prairiefrontier.com/index.html>. Compound eyes of a robber fly. Photograph. Inspiration block. 13 Oct. 2009. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. <http://www.inspirationblock.com/photography/amazing-insect-macro-photography>. "Fun butterfly facts." The butterfly site. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. <http://www.thebutterflysite.com/facts.shtml>. Hadley, Debbie. "Butterflies and moths." About.com. The New York Times Company, 2010. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. <http://insects.about.com/od/butterfliesmoths/p/char_lepidopter.htm>. "Interesting behaviors." Moth and Butterfly information. University of Arizona, 1997. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. <http://insected.arizona.edu/bflyinfo.htm>. "Lepidoptera: moths and butterflies." Insects and their Allies. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. <http://www.ento.csiro.au/education/insects/lepidoptera.html>. Meyer, John. "Lepidoptera." NC State University. 28 July 2009. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. <http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/course/ent425/compendium/butter~1.html>. Mrclean. Colorful butterflies. 1982. Photograph. Cool pics blog. 2007. Web. 27 Feb. 2010. <http://www.coolpicsblog.com/colorful-butterflies/>. Seamen, Richard. Caterpillar. Photograph. Vietnam. The fling Kiwi. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. <http://www.richard- seaman.com/Arthropods/PhotoGalleries/Caterpillars/index.html>. "Zooming in on a Hoverfly." The Four Ages Of Sand. 29 Aug. 2009. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. <http://iainpetrie.typepad.com/the_four_ages_of_sand/creepie_crawlies/>.