What Is The Difference Between A Moth And A Butterfly

Butterflies are slender and.

Hold wings together above body when resting. This difference is possibly due to the need for moths to conserve heat during the cooler nights or to confound echolocation by bats whereas butterflies are able to absorb sunlight. Therefore the best way to differentiate a moth from a butterfly is by observing their antennae. Butterflies in the lycaenid subfamily riodininae and skippers in the subfamily pyrginae hold their wings flat when resting.

Hold wings flat when resting. No uk butterflies have feathery antennae but some butterflies and moths have rather similar shaped antennae e g. Dingy skipper and six spot burnet. The main difference between moth and butterfly is in the shape of their antennae.

There is no real taxonomic difference between butterflies and moths. Moths need to conserve heat during the cooler nights so they tend to have stout and hairy bodies. However there are some differences in physical and behavioral characteristics that are easy to learn and recognize. Butterflies usually have club shaped antennae while most moths have feathery or tapering ones.

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Both are classified in the order lepidoptera. One of the most obvious differences between butterflies and moths is their resting wing position. Moths rest with their wings open whereas butterflies tend to rest with their wings closed. However many butterflies sun bake with their wings open.

Many moths including geometrid moths hold their wings up in a butterfly like fashion when resting. Butterfly scales are finer than moth scales. Butterfly antennae are thin with club shaped tips compared with the feathery or comb like antennae of moths. Moths have larger scales on their wings which makes them look more dense and fluffy.

On the other hand butterflies are able to absorb solar radiation. Butterflies on the other hand possess fine scales. So they have slender and smoother abdomens. Butterfly antennae look like clubs at the end whereas moth antennae are straight.

This order contains over 100 families of insects worldwide some of which are moths and some of which are butterflies.