Butterflies & Moths

Butterflies (and moths) make up one of the major orders of Insects. This order contains, and only contains, the moths, skippers and butterflies, and has at least 100,000 species worldwide (Zborowski and Storey 1998), with over 10,500 species described in Australia so far (Braby 2004).

The moths make up the majority of families and species in the order. Moths and butterflies range in size from a coin to a dinner plate.

Some of the butterflies in tropical Australia, south-east Asia, and South America are quite large, but what are the largest butterflies in the world?
There are several characteristics of this group that are distinct. Their most obvious feature is their wings, which are covered in tiny scales which provide them with their colors and patterns. They are also famous for their very different stages of their life cycle, from a worm-like caterpillar to the free flying adult.

The above information includes edited extracts from the Ecosystem Guides book:
"Rainforest of tropical Australia"