One of the most common questions
any lepidopterist is asked by members of public concerns the difference between
a butterfly and a moth? The question is usually on the lines of surely, moths
are small brown things that fly at night, and eat clothes, however butterflies
fly during the day, and are nice pretty things? Unluckily it’s not nearly so
simple. There’re several other misunderstandings too, such as butterflies hold
their wings closed above their heads when they’re shut, but flat to the ground
when they’re open. Well this is patently not so. Many thousands of moth species
hold their wings closed above their backs, just like a butterfly.
Moreover another feature often
suggested as a structure to tell the two apart is the antennae, the common
perception is that on a butterfly they’re clubbed, and on a moth they are furry
but this is wrong again! Several thousands of moth species have antennae
similar like a butterfly and some butterfly species have moth like antennae.
One of the structures that is an
almost a distinguishing factor, is the frenulum the special wing-catch
used to keep the hind wings from riding up over the fore wings. In nearly all
butterflies it is of one type, and in most moths, it is another. Although
there’s an Australian skipper called Euschemon Rafflesia which cause this
distinction to fail, as the male has a moth type frenulum there’re also many
moth species which have a butterfly type wing catch.
As mentioned above, the idea that
butterflies are pretty and fly by day, but moths are dull and brown and fly by
night, is a common sentiment but it’s entirely erroneous. For example, the
Urania moth looking for a dull and brown night flyer, you couldn’t be more
wrong it’s obviously highly colored and it also flies by day.
The issue of day flying against
night flying is certainly not clear cut at all, as there’re great several moths
that are day fliers, however there’re very few butterflies that fly at night.
There’re species that will fly at night during migration while over the sea.
But it’s not their usual behavior given the choice they will rest at night.
When an animal is active by day,
it is said to be diumal and when it is active by night, it is said to be
nocturnal. There’re although myriad species that is active in the half light of
dusk and dawn. These species are said to be crepuscular, i.e. of diurnal moths
include many of tiger moths, which are often mistaken for butterflies, but
there’s a family of moths that are closely day fliers. These’re the Burnet
moths belongs to family Zygaenidae, which like so many diurnal moths are
chemically protected from the majority of predators. It has been noted that
some of them have traces of cyanide within their body tissues.
However there’re very few
nocturnal butterflies there’re a great several that are crepuscular, including
many of the Satyrs of the family Satyridae although the most impressive are the
“Owl” butterflies of the genus Caligo. There butterflies occur in South America
up through Central America and into the West Indies. Their larvae mostly feed
on banana plants, where they can become pests in commercial plantations. They
adults often like to feed on rotting fruit, which can be their downfall, as
collectors often use this weakness to set bait traps for them.
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