Butterfly or moth?
How to tell them apart
Butterflies fly by day, have clubbed antennae and rest with wings held upright. Most moths fly at night, have feathery or tapering antennae, and rest with wings flat.
Quick answers
They differ on 2 of the 8 quick answers: awake when, do people eat it.
| Question | Butterfly | Moth |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | Insect | Insect |
| Carnivore? | No, herbivore | No, herbivore |
| Dangerous? | No | No |
| Domesticated? | No | No |
| Awake when? differs | Daytime | Night |
| Hibernates? | No | No |
| Kept as a pet? | No | No |
| Do people eat it? differs | No | In places |
At a glance
| Question | Butterfly | Moth |
|---|---|---|
| Found in | Worldwide | Worldwide |
| Habitat differs | Grassland, Forest, Rainforest | Forest, Grassland, Towns |
| Size | Tiny | Tiny |
| Legs | 6 | 6 |
| Covered in | Scales | Scales |
| Lives | Alone | Alone |
| Lives for differs | 2–11 months | 1–6 months |
| Can fly | Yes | Yes |
| Swims | No | No |
| Lays eggs | Yes | Yes |
About each
Butterfly
Winged insects with large, often brightly coloured wings, around 18,500 species in all. Each starts as a caterpillar, pupates in a chrysalis, and emerges as an adult that sips nectar through a long, coiled proboscis.
Everything on the butterfly page
Moth
The vast majority of the insect order that also includes butterflies, with about 160,000 species. Most fly at night, and only the caterpillars of a few species eat clothes.
Sources
Last reviewed . The answers and notes come from each animal's own page, where every source is listed.
How each answer is decided: How we answer. More look-alikes: Side by side.