A butterfly is an invertebrate.
Invertebrates are animals that do not possess a backbone or vertebral column. Butterflies belong to the class Insecta, which is part of the phylum Arthropoda. This group includes many other creatures like ants, beetles, and spiders, all of which share the characteristic of lacking a spine. Butterflies undergo a fascinating life cycle that includes stages of egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa (chrysalis), and adult, which highlights their unique development process as invertebrates.