Butterflies are the vanguard for the insect world, due to their harmless beauty. Consequently, they have been studied the most among the insects, and the present knowledge of their biology, evolution and habits can fill thick books many times over. Time permitting some of this information may be noted on this site.

Butterflies have evolved in unison with the evolution of flowering plants (angiosperms) that started about 134 million years ago during the early Lower Cretaceous geological time period at the time of the dinosaurs, and the larval stages of butterflies are almost entirely dependent on flowering plants as a food source.

The datasheets contain considerable non-specific biological information. A series of photographs illustrating the pupation methods of various groups of butterflies have also been prepared. See the following for swallowtails, nymphs and lycaenids; also an excellent time-lapse sequence for a Singapore Emperor.