Butterflies are some of the most beautiful insects in the world. They can be found on every continent except Antarctica. There are more than 17,000 different species of butterflies.

A butterfly goes through four stages in its life. This is called metamorphosis. First, a butterfly starts as a tiny egg. The mother butterfly lays her eggs on a leaf. Second, a caterpillar hatches from the egg. The caterpillar eats leaves and grows bigger every day. Third, the caterpillar forms a chrysalis around its body. Inside the chrysalis, an amazing change happens. Fourth, a butterfly emerges with beautiful wings. It spreads its wings and flies away.

Butterflies are important to our planet. When a butterfly lands on a flower to drink nectar, pollen sticks to its body. When it flies to another flower, the pollen rubs off. This is called pollination, and it helps plants grow new seeds.

Butterflies have some interesting features. They taste with their feet! They also have thousands of tiny scales on their wings that create colorful patterns. Some butterflies migrate thousands of miles. The monarch butterfly travels from Canada to Mexico every fall. That is a journey of over 3,000 miles.

Unfortunately, many butterfly species are in danger. When forests are cut down or fields are sprayed with chemicals, butterflies lose their homes and food. We can help by planting flowers, avoiding pesticides, and protecting natural areas.