How Do You Differentiate Between a Moth and a Butterfly?

Published by Keerthana in Science
June 10th, 2008

Butterflies and moths belong to the same group called the Lepidoptera which means ‘scaly wings’. Both have scales on their wings and bodies.

Their lifestyles too are very similar. Both lay hundreds of eggs on the leaves of plants. From these emerge caterpillars. These become pupae after 2 months before changing into delicate winged insects after 2 months.

The major difference between a butterfly and a moth is that butterflies love to flutter around in the morning sunshine while the moths are night creatures. There are also some species of moths that fly in the morning.

Another difference between is, the butterfly has a slender body and the moth a thick one.

When butterflies are at rest they hold their wings straight above them. Moths hold their wings flat on each side of their bodies.

Both have antennae or feelers from their heads. The antennae of the butterfly is knobbed or cloned at the tips while the moth has pointed and hairy antennae.

To know more -

Dangers of Sleep Apnea

Read more in Science