Butterfly evolution

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Butterfly evolution began when butterflies likely descended an evolutionary tree that followed a path from lamp shells to bryozoans to mollusks to segmented worms and then, eventually, butterflies. The order Lepidoptera may be the most recently evolved of all insect orders, except for fleas. One family, that contains the mission blue, Lycaenidae, is divided into three subfamilies: Theclinae (hairstreaks), Lycaeninae (coppers), and Icaricia (blues). Butterflies first dispersed through North America at a time when South America still touched Africa and Europe was still attached to the northern part of the North American continent. It was this geographic setup that allowed butterflies to spread throughout the world.In a recent book on insect evolution found on page 556 of “Evolution of the Insects” states that around 200 million years ago Lepidoptera wings and scales were found in Early Jurassic rock. The first find fossilized evidence of Lepidoptera, the fossil was 100% Lepidoptera.

The information we learn about evolution comes from fossil records. But there are few butterfly fossils found. According to the American Museum of Natural History those that do exist, like the 40-million-year-old Prodryas persophone, are very similar to them today.One recent theory is that an obscure moth family, the Hedylidae, represents the closest living relatives of the butterflies. Essentially, this theory suggests that butterflies are just a group of brightly colored moths.