Any of various insects of the order Lepidoptera, characteristically having slender bodies, knobbed antennae, and four broad, usually colorful wings. There are many myths about butterflys. The Greeks believed that a new human soul was born each time an adult butterfly emerged from its cocoon. Many ancient civilizations believed that butterflies were symbols of the human soul. An ancient belief claims that the butterfly was really a larcenous witch in disguise.
