Butterfly or Moth - What’s the Difference?

There are five characteristics that let you tell the difference between diurnal butterflies and the nocturnal moths. In general, moths aren’t too different from the beautiful, colorful butterflies we see during the day, as they are both part of the butterfly family. There are more than 180,000 species of butterflies, and around 4,000 of these live in Europe. Would you have guessed that? So, why don’t we like moths? Most people really don’t like moths, as they are mostly gray unlike colorful butterflies. Over the following pages, you’ll find large images and a few rules to work out which is which. Finally, there’ll be a clear summary.

Let's find out: Butterfly or moth?

Use these links to jump directly to the specific info:

• Butterfly or moth: different feelers
• Butterfly or moth: different bodies
• Butterfly or moth: active at day or night?
• Butterfly or moth: wings together or apart?
• Butterfly or moth: different colors

Tau Emperor - Photo: Cristian Gusa/Shutterstock