Tropical Central and South America have the most butterflies in the world, however they are found in many other places as well. Costa Rica has over 1,300 species of butterflies.

 A butterfly's life begins with a very tiny egg laid on a leaf. When the egg hatches it is a larva, the butterfly's caterpillar stage. Shortly, the larva makes a cocoon called a  chrysalis, where inside, it develops into a pupa. Eventually, a beautiful butterfly is emerges from this chrysalis.

 The adult usually eventually returns to the very plant or tree trunk where it grew up. Generations of butterflies continue to find the very same tree that their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents laid their eggs on. There it lays its own eggs and the process begins again. This cycle only takes about two to three months to complete. The life span of most butterflies is very short, usually just enough to lay their eggs.

The color in a butterfly's wings does not come from pigment or color. A butterfly’s wings have transparent wing scales, so the color you see is made like a prism would make rainbows, by reflecting light.

All moths and butterflies do not eat solid food. Many butterflies drink nectar from flowers. Some butterflies can not even take in moisture.

This moth has spots that make it appear to have large eyes that are looking at you! Perhaps this scares away predators. Moths are much more common than butterflies.

Butterflies and moths come in many different shapes and color patters. Although they may look like similar creatures, they have very different lifestyles and adaptations. One distinguishing difference is that butterflies are active during the day, moths are active at night. Butterflies close their wings when they rest; moths open them. A butterfly antenna is knobbed or club-shaped. Different moth's antennas are various shapes, and are not usually clubbed. A butterfly's body is long, slender, not hairy; a moth's is short, stout, and usually hairy. Moths can cause construction.