The name 'butterfly' comes from the delicate yellow brimstone butterfly, which is the color of butter. Browse through the natural world from Rainforests to Deserts. Find out facts about animals from Komodo dragons to butterflies, from graceful dolphins to huge dinosaurs. All text and graphics are copyrighted by REMedia, or by third parties who are acknowledged within this web site. Butterflies are among the most beautiful of insects, and give much pleasure to all of us, flying from flower to flower on a summer's day.
Butterflies have cylindrical, segmented bodies and two pairs of delicate wings.
The name butterfly was first given to the European brimstone butterfly, whose coloring reminded people of dairy butter. Brimstones are one of the first butterflies to appear in spring because the hibernate over the winter as adults rather than as pupae.