Let’s talk about the differences between BUTTERFLY AND MOTH. By the time you’re done reading, you’ll be a pro at identifying them. To many people, both images below are butterflies.
However, that’s not true. The FIRST ONE IS A butterfly while the NEXT ONE is a moth. How do we differentiate them? First, any of them that flies into your house is most likely (98% of the time) a moth.
Why? Unlike butterflies that prefer open spaces, moths thrive in darker environments. Also, butterflies ONLY sip nectar from flowers, so, they have no business with coming to your house. Moths, on the other hand, can consume other substances like fabric, paper, or decaying matter.
That’s why you have them in and around your house. Another pronounced way to differentiate them is how they fold their wings when resting.
Butterflies fold their wings upwards while moths spread theirs sideways. Check the images and you will notice something else. Butterflies have slender bodies. Moths are plumpy. Butterflies will not leave “powders” in your hands when you hold them. Moths will.
Then, check their antennae. Butterflies have thin, sharp, and longer antennae. Moths on the other hand have shorter, feathery ones. Butterflies fly more gracefully while moths’ flight is erratic.
They often fly like drunk insects. Finally, butterflies have more beautiful and radiant colours while moths have more subtle and duller colours. With these, you shouldn’t have any problem with differentiating a moth from a butterfly again.
