On December 8, 2010, the Marshall Islands Postal Service issues 12 new stamps celebrating the world's colorful butterflies.
One of nature's most beautiful and fragile creatures, the butterfly is found throughout the world, from the harsh regions of the Arctic, to the deserts of Africa and the temperate tropics, including the Marshall Islands. Many of these intriguing insects display spectacular colors and wing patterns and are important to certain plants that depend upon them for cross-pollination.
Butterflies are classified into six families: Hesperiidae, known as "skippers", fast flyers reaching speeds of up to 30 m.p.h.; Papilionidae, comprising the colorful "swallowtails"; Pieridae, species that are predominately yellow or white; Nymphalidae, "brush-footed" butterflies; Lycaenidae, which includes "blues", "hairstreaks" and "coppers"; and Riodinidae, known as "metalmarks".
