Most adult butterflies prefer sipping nectar from any flower they can access. The type of flower a butterfly visits depends on the length of the butterfly's tubelike tongue, called a proboscis.

Butterflies likely split from nocturnal moths around 100 million years ago in present-day western North America or Central America, a new study of the winged insects finds.

Butterfly and moth wings can be stunningly beautiful. More importantly, some have colourful and elaborate patterns that serve as a defence against hungry predators. There are many butterfly and moth ...