Republicans very unpopular. They
helped Democrat Barack Obama defeat
Republican John McCain in the presidential
election in 2008. Bush left office
in January 2009 and returned to private
life in Texas.
..More to explore
Bush, George • Clinton, Bill • Electoral
College • Iraq • Obama, Barack
• Terrorism • United States
Butterfly and
Moth
Butterflies and moths are related kinds
of flying insects. There are about
100,000 species, or types, of butterflies
and moths. They live in many different
habitats nearly all over the world.
Physical Features
Butterflies and moths vary greatly in
size. The length of their wings spread
George W.
Bush was the
second U.S.
president
whose father
had also been
president. The
first was John
Quincy
Adams, whose
father was
John Adams.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Butterfly and Moth 157
out ranges from about 0.2 inch to 12
inches (4 to 300 millimeters).
Butterflies and moths have many features
in common. Like all insects, they
have six legs. Most adults have two pairs
of wings. Dustlike scales cover the
wings, body, and legs.
There are several differences, however,
between butterflies and moths. Butterfly
antennas, or feelers, are slender and end
in little knobs. Moth antennas lack these
knobs. They often look like tiny feathers
or threads. In addition, butterfly wings
are usually brightly colored or boldly
patterned. Most moths have a duller
color than butterflies do.
Behavior
Most butterflies are active during the
daytime, while moths generally are
active at night. Nearly all butterflies and
moths eat plants. The adults of many
species drink a sweet liquid called nectar
from flowers. As they feed, a substance
called pollen rubs off on them. When
they move to the next flower the pollen
falls onto that flower. The pollen helps
the flowers produce seeds.
Some butterflies and moths travel long
distances to reach their breeding
grounds. In autumn the monarch butterflies
of North America fly nearly
2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) to the
south. In the spring they breed and then
travel back north. This pattern of travel
is called migration.
Life Cycle
Butterflies and moths change form completely
over the course of their lives.
This change is called metamorphosis.
First, they hatch from an egg as a larva,
or caterpillar. Caterpillars have no
wings, and they often look like fat
worms. Some kinds are hairy.
After a period of growth, the caterpillar
changes into a form called a pupa. The
pupa lies inactive for weeks or months
while its adult features develop. Some
species make a silk case called a cocoon
to protect themselves during this resting
stage. In fact, people get silk from the
cocoons of certain moth caterpillars,
called silkworms. Finally, the butterfly or
moth becomes a winged adult.
..More to explore
Insect • Metamorphosis • Pollen • Silk
All butterflies and moths start out as caterpillars. Some, such as the monarch butterfly, form
a cocoon to protect themselves as they become a pupa. When they are fully grown they
come out of the pupa as an adult butterfly.
158 Butterfly and Moth BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Byzantine
Empire
The Roman Empire ruled a large part of
Europe and northern Africa for hundreds
of years. But in AD 395 it split into
two parts. Invaders conquered the western
part in 476. The eastern part became
known as the Byzantine Empire and
lived on until 1453. Its name came from
the ancient city of Byzantium (now
Istanbul, Turkey). This city, under the
name of Constantinople, was the capital
of the Byzantine Empire.
Culture
At its largest size, the Byzantine Empire
extended from the Middle East to
southern Spain. It included parts of
southern Europe and northern Africa
around the Mediterranean Sea. The
people of this large empire developed a
unique culture. They made colorful pictures,
called mosaics, out of broken bits
of stone. They built buildings with large
domes. They also replaced the Latin
language with Greek.
In addition, the Byzantines created a
new branch of Christianity. In 1054 the
Byzantine church separated from the
Christian church in the west. The western
church became known as Roman
Catholicism. The Byzantine church
became known as Eastern Orthodoxy.
Rule of Justinian
Many emperors ruled the Byzantine
Empire. One of the greatest was Justinian
I. He ruled from 527 to 565. During
his reign he expanded the empire and
built many monuments, including a
church called the Hagia Sophia. He also
gave his people a famous code, or collection
of laws.
Challenges and Decline
From the beginning, the Byzantine
Empire faced many invasions. In the
early years, groups from Europe threatened
the empire’s borders. The early
Byzantines also fought Persians from
Asia and Muslims from Arabia.
During the 1300s, Muslim Turks conquered
the lands surrounding Constantinople.
In 1453 the Turks captured the
city. They made it the capital of the
Ottoman Empire.With that the Byzantine
Empire came to an end.
..More to explore
Eastern Orthodox Churches • Ottoman
Empire • Rome, Ancient
The Byzantine Empire is known for its art.
A mosaic showing the Empress Theodora
is in the San Vitale Basilica in Ravenna,
Italy.
The Turks
made the
