The Butterflies

Lepidoptera is an order of insects whose adult form is commonly called butterfly. They are characterized in the adult stage by three pairs of legs (like all insects) and two pairs of wings covered with colored scales varied depending on the species. The moths lay eggs that give rise to caterpillars. The latter are then transformed into a chrysalis, sometimes hiding in a cocoon previously woven.
The life cycle of moths is thus composed of four stages: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and butterfly, the transformation process is the metamorphosis . From egg to adult, the life of butterflies differ according to species.
Butterflies are pollinators, and thus have a useful role in nature, although some species is presented as harmful to agriculture in the state of caterpillar. They are also prey for birds and other animals.
The 5,200 species of butterflies recorded in France play an important role in the functioning of the ecosystem balance.

All the pictures in this gallery are made of natural environment with a lens 2.8/105mm Afs-Vr Micro-Nikkor, sometimes associated with a converter TC14EIII.