35 Beautiful Butterfly Tattoos

By and large, insects are often seen as creepy crawlies that many people feel uncomfortable around. The same, however, cannot be said for butterflies. Butterflies are insects in the lepidoptera order, which also includes moths. They’re recognized for their brightly colored wings and fluttering flight patterns. They often have four distinctive stages of life: egg, caterpillar larva, pupa and adult butterfly. There are approximately 17,500 different species of butterflies and 750 of these species can be found in the United States. The most common species of butterfly is the Painted Lady, which can be found in all temperate climates. One of the rarest species of butterfly is the Schaus swallowtail, which can be found in Southern Florida.

One of the most highly celebrated species of butterfly is the monarch. These butterflies are found throughout North America and can be recognized by their signature orange, black and white patterning. They’re often known for their yearly migration pattern, traveling southward during the late-summer/early-autumn. During this time, the butterflies typically travel from Northern and Central United States (as well as parts of Southern Canada) to Florida, Southern California and Mexico. The monarch is the state insect throughout the United States, representing Alabama, Idaho, Illinois, Minnesota, Texas, Vermont and West Virginia.

In honor of all the butterfly fanatics out there, take a look at 35 beautiful butterfly tattoos in the gallery below. Then let us know your favorite tattoo from the bunch in the comments section on social media.