Find brush-footed butterflies information at Animal Diversity
Web This family of butterflies gets its name from its front
legs. They are shorter than the other four legs, and they don't
use them to walk or stand. These front legs don't have feet,
just little brushes of hairs that the butterflies can use to
smell and taste with. Sometimes the front legs are so small you
can't see them. This is a very diverse group of species. Some
are brightly colored, some well camouflaged. Most have brown
camouflage patterns on the underside of the wings, and brighter
colors (often orange) on top, but there are lots of exceptions.
Some have rounded wings, some have irregular edges with notches
and little curves. Several species in this group are mimics,
they look like other species that are toxic, and so avoid
predators. Many of the caterpillars have horns or spines or
bumps to discourage predators. Some are dark colored, some are
green or yellow, many have stripes or spots. (See More
Information on Butterflies and Moths for