| 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. In the mean time, the following are some sites that partially cover this topic; (web addresses last updated 4 August 2004).
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