Glossary

An insect with four large wings that flies mostly in the daytime. Butterflies are closely related to moths but have thinner bodies and are usually more brightly colored.

The middle life stage, of a moth or butterfly. Caterpillars are round and long like worms, but have six legs. They may be brightly colored.

The hard outside covering on a moth or butterfly while it is a pupa, the stage before it becomes an adult with wings. Chrysalis is also sometimes used as another name for the pupa itself.

The changes in form of some living things as they grow. The change from caterpillar to butterfly or from tadpole to frog are examples of metamorphoses.

An insect in a middle stage of its development, after it is a larva. Pupas do not eat or move; they are changing into their adult form. Many kinds of insects, including butterflies, spend their time as a pupa inside a cocoon.