How many legs does a butterfly have?

A butterfly has three pairs of legs, giving it a total of six legs. Classified as an insect, a butterfly has a triple segmented body, jointed legs in pairs of three, antennae and wings.

A butterfly's legs are very important for its survival. A butterfly uses its feet as taste buds. When it lands on a flower or plant, it uses its feet to taste the plant and determine if it wants to eat.

The painted lady butterfly is sometimes thought to have only four legs. These butterflies do have six legs, but the front two legs are very small.