How to Tell a Moth from a Butterfly

You know that there are differences between moths and butterflies, but you may not be able to put your finger on them. Both belong to the insect order Lepidoptera and share several commonalities, but there are a few key differences between the 2. The next time you see a pretty, flying insect with large wings, you can tell if it is a moth or a butterfly. Read on to learn how.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Observe the time of day you see the insect. Moths generally fly during the night (nocturnal) and butterflies usually fly during the day (diurnal).

2. Look at the antennae. Moth feelers are feather-like and plain, whereas butterflies have little knobs at the ends of their antennae.

3. Notice how the creature holds its wings while resting. Moths hold their wings flat out to the sides, and butterflies generally keep their wings upright when not flying.

4. Take note of the brightness of color. Usually butterflies are much more brightly colored than moths, although this is not always the case.

5. Examine the creature's body. Moths have fuzzy, fat bodies, but butterflies have thinner, non-hairy bodies.

6. Try to find a small hook or bristle that connects the fore and hind wings together. If you see this hook, called a frenulum, you have a moth. This feature is absent in butterflies.

7. Check out the forelegs of the insect. If they are fully developed, most likely you are examining a moth. Butterflies have shorter forelegs that are missing a segment that moths have.