Butterfree resembles a vaguely anthropomorphic butterfly with a purple body. Unlike true insects, it only has two body segments and four light blue legs. Butterfree has two black antennae, a light blue snout with two fangs underneath, and large, red compound eyes. Its two pairs of veined wings are white with black accents. The oval scales of a female Butterfree's lower wings are black, but white in males.
Butterfree's wings are covered with poisonous powders that fall off continuously as it flies. This powder repels water, enabling it to gather honey even in the rain. Butterfree will roam up to six miles from its nest in search of honey, which it carries with the hairs of its legs. It also consumes sap from trees pierced by Heracross, as seen in the anime. Butterfree is found in forests, but has also been observed flying near the ocean as part of its migratory breeding pattern.
A pink Butterfree appeared in Bye-Bye Butterfree. Ash's Butterfree fell in love with her and fought to save her from Team Rocket. At the end of the episode, Ash released his Butterfree to mate with the pink Butterfree.
After Team Rocket kidnapped Dr. Gordon and flew away on Jessie's Dustox in Caterpie's Big Dilemma, Xander's giant Metapod evolved into a Butterfree to chase Team Rocket. Xander's Butterfree shrunk back to its normal size at the end of the episode.
Ash's Metapod evolves into Butterfree in Play Misty For Me during Ash's Gym battle with Misty. Its last appearance as a Butterfree was in Haunting My Dreams, battling a giant Haunter.
Yellow has a Butterfree which evolved from a Caterpie she befriended and captured. Her uncle, Fisherman Wilton, also has a Butterfree. Both of them are able to use Butterfree as a mode of flight, using Butterfree to hold onto their backs as they fly.
In the Pokémon Pocket Monsters manga
Giovanni used a Butterfree in a haircut salon that he built.
In the Pokémon Gold & Silver: The Golden Boys manga
Bugsy has a Butterfree as his main Pokémon. It was first seen as a Metapod in Let's Aim For The Goal.
Butterfree has a superior ability to search for delicious honey from flowers. It can even search out, extract, and carry honey from flowers that are blooming over six miles from its nest.
Butterfree is the first Pokémon shown in the anime to have an alternate color. However, this alternate color was pink and only occurred in a female, unlike a Shiny Butterfree, which only has pink wings, limbs, and snout.
Butterfree has been trained by four important anime Trainers: Ash, Ritchie, Solidad, and Drew.
Butterfree shares the same species name with Beautifly. They are both known as the Butterfly Pokémon.
Butterfree can be seen as a parallel to Beedrill. Both of their unevolved stages evolve at level 7 and again at level 10. They both go through metamorphosis-like evolution and have the same base stat total of 395. Also, while Beedrill is a version exclusive of Black and Black 2, Butterfree is exclusive to White and White 2.
Origin
Its design appears to be based on a common butterfly, most likely the Black-veined White.
Name origin
Butterfree is a combination of butterfly and free, possibly referring to its ability to fly after being grounded for two evolutionary stages.