Butterfly Classifications, Orders, Families, and Names
Differences between Moths & Butterflies
Adult Butterfly Anatomy Life Cycle of a Butterfly
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Belonging to the phylum Arthropoda in the Insecta (insects) class, butterflies and moths fall into the order Lepidoptera, which means scale-winged, in reference to the thousands of tiny scales that make up their wing colors and patterns.
Scientists who study butterflies and moths are called lepidopterists.
Butterflies are differentiated from moths at the next classification level - the suborder Rhopalocera.
Butterflies have two superfamilies: the Papilionoidea - or true butterflies; and the Hesperioidea - or Skippers. Skippers got their name for their bouncing flight which looks like skipping. They are often confused with being moths as they fat bodies and are quite furry.
Butterfly superfamilies are further classified into families. Opinions differ as to how many families there actually are, but some include: swallowtails, whites and sulphurs, gossamer-wing butterflies, metalmarks, and brush-footed butterflies.
There are a couple of stories of where the name 'butterfly came from. One is that butterflies where named after the bright yellow species called a Brimstone from England, which is most abundant in early spring - the time when new mother cows' milk comes in for butter-making - thus the connection between butter, and the butter colored insects. The other story is that the word 'butterfly' comes from the word 'flutterby' which was once used to describe the butterfly's flight pattern.
For a list of the various butterfly species found in the Southwest states click here.
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Difference between Butterfly and Moth

Differences Between Butterflies and Moths
Butterflies have 'club-tipped' antennae, and moths have wiry or feathery antennae.
Generally, butterflies fly during the day, while most moths fly at night.
Butterflies are usually colorful to distinguish possible mates, and moths are not very colorful since they fly when it is hard to see color - thus, they primarily use scent to find their mates.
When resting, butterflies fold their wings above their bodes like a sail, and most moths fold their wings along their body.
Moths look furry (the 'fur' is actually scales), and have fat bodies compared to the graceful butterfly.
Moth caterpillars spin cocoons to pupate, and butterflies find a secure place to shed their last larval skin.
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Adult Butterfly Anatomy
Like all insects, butterflies have 6 legs, a pair of antennae, and a body divided into three main parts - the head, which has the tongue, eyes and antennae; the thorax, where the wings, the legs and the muscles that power them are connected; and the abdomen, which houses the digestive and reproductive organs.
They have two sets of wings - the forewings, and hindwings.
Butterflies smell by using the chemical receptors located in the little holes in their antennae. Their sense of smell alerts them of danger, and helps them find food plants and mates.
Their feet have little receptors on them, which they use to 'taste' when they land on a food plant to lay their eggs.
Their eyes are compound with lots of facets - each facet has their own lens and optic nerve - they don't send clear images to their brain, but are excellent for detecting motion and seeing colors into the ultraviolet range.
They have a long and hollow proboscis which acts as a tongue, sucking up flower nectar like a straw. When it's not in use, it coils up.
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Life Cycle of the Butterfly
A butterfly's lifecycle goes from egg to larva (Caterpillar) to Pupa (Chrysalis) to adult (Butterfly).
Depending on the species, adult butterflies lay eggs singly, in rows, stacks or masses on a food source (plant) which will feed the emerging caterpillar.
The emergent larva, known as the caterpillar feed on plants and go through many stages, shedding it's skin each time - which is know as an instar. When it is fully grown, the caterpillar prepares to pupate by finding secure hiding place, and then shedding it's final larval skin which reveals the pupa - an outer shell, with no head or feet, within which the wings and other adult/butterfly features can develop.
Finally the pupal skin breaks open and the butterfly emerges