gray Garden butterfly on a leaf about Wildlife Monarch butterfly

>This article is about the leaf, a plant organ. See Leaf (disambiguation) for other meanings. In botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant organ specialized for photosynthesis. For this purpose, a leaf is typically flat (laminar) and thin, to expose the chloroplast containing cells (chlorenchyma tissue) to light over a broad area, and to allow light to penetrate fully into the tissues. Leaves are also the sites in most plants where respiration, transpiration, and guttation take place. Leaves can store food and water, and are modified in some plants for other purposes. The comparable structures of ferns are correctly referred to as fronds. See more at Wikipedia.org...

>For other uses, see Butterfly (disambiguation). Superfamily Hesperioidea:HesperiidaeSuperfamily Papilionoidea:PapilionidaePieridaeNymphalidaeLycaenidaeRiodinidae A butterfly is a flying insect of the order Lepidoptera belonging to one of the superfamilies Hesperioidea (the skippers) and Papilionoidea (all other butterflies). Some authors would include also members of the superfamily Hedyloidea, the American butterfly moths. Many butterflies have striking colours and patterns on their wings. When touched by humans they tend to lose small numbers of scales, that look like a fine powder. If they lose too many scales the butterfly's ability to fly will be impaired. People who study or collect butterflies (or the closely related moths) are called lepidopterists. Butterfly watching is growing in popularity as a hobby. See more at Wikipedia.org...