A Difference Between Moths and Butterflies

Not brightly colored. Not large. But a butterfly. Little Wood Satyr (Megisto cymela).
Not dull colors. Certainly not small. But a moth. Luna Moth (Luna Moth (Actias luna).

I keep reading about moths having drab colors and butterflies having bright colors. Don’t depend on that to decide which you are looking at. There are brightly colored moths. And there butterflies that have dull colors. I also see it being said that moths are small and butterflies are large. That can’t be depended on either. There are very large moths and very small butterflies. Another point I often read: moths are nocturnal and butterflies are diurnal. But in reality there are butterflies that are nocturnal and there are also moths that are diurnal.

The feathery antennae of a male Yellow-collared Scape Moth (Cisseps fulvicollis).
The sawtoothed antennae of a female Black and Yellow Lichen Moth (Lycomorpha pholus).

One thing you can depend on in looking to see if you’re seeing a moth or a butterfly is their antennae. Male moths have feathery antennae while female moths have sawtoothed antennae.

A butterfly with its antennae. Long shafts with club-like bulbs at the ends. Hackberry Emperor (Asterocampa celtis).

A butterfly’s antennae are long shafts with club-like bulbs at the ends. A moth’s antennae, whether a male or female, do not have those bulbs on the ends.

Published by

Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.

4 thoughts on “A Difference Between Moths and Butterflies”

  1. Wow, that antennae thing is pretty amazing, IF you can get close enough to see them. ha ha Thanks for all the educating you’ve done!

  3. Brenda, what helpful photos! I cannot imagine how you could capture the distinction in their antennae, but you have done so with great clarity and now I know how to distinguish the difference between moths and butterflies. I can’t wait try try our my newly learned knowledge on the next opportunity.

    1. Oh Doriene! I’m so glad I had these pictures to show you! So glad that you were in class and able to ask me about the difference between butterflies and moths!

      Thank you so much for signing up to get my blog!
      Bren

Comments are closed.