Butterfly facts

Butterflies and moths are thought to have existed on Earth for about 150 million years. The butterflies, however, are somewhat younger. They probably appeared about 75 million years ago. The oldest fossil of a butterfly is younger still – “only” about 55 million years old. And it is Danish – found in the mo-clay (moler) at Limfjorden.

In Denmark we have 67 species of butterfly that breed here regularly. A list of these species can be found here: Danish butterflies. In addition, some species from our neighbouring countries turn up in particular weather conditions. In general, our butterfly population is in decline. Because of the way society has developed, 12 species have disappeared over the last 75 years, while a few new ones have arrived or returned. Several species are now found only in very limited areas of the country, which makes their populations very vulnerable.

The moths of Denmark number about 2,500 species. The largest of them belong to the groups of owlet moths, geometers and “spinners” (bombycoid moths) – around 900 species in all, which together with the butterflies are known as macrolepidoptera. The remaining moths – known as micro-moths – include the tortrix moths and various other small moths.

What follows describes the butterfly's stages of development, its anatomy and other fascinating aspects – mostly with the butterflies as the starting point.