Image: Phalaenoides glycinae, by QuestaGamer Holly Golightly, CC BY-NC.
We all know that moths and butterflies are close cousins, but do you actually know how to tell them apart? The first thing many people think of is that butterflies are often beautifully coloured, while moths are dull and drab. It's not that simple. If you think that moths are boring, just take a look below at the gorgeous moths that QuestaGamers have found!
There are several general rules you can use to tell a moth from a butterfly. For instance, among other things, moths tend to:
- rest their wings in different positions (flat by their side, rather than above their body),
- be active at different times (at night rather than at day), and
- have a feathery antennae (butterflies never do).
And while it is true that butterflies tend to be more colourful than moths, there are many exceptions to this (as there are to the other rules)! Moths are a very diverse group, with 125 families across the world, while there are only 5 families of butterfly. With such diversity comes many surprises - splendid colours, 'feathery' wings, transparent wings, lack of wings, and even fluffy 'teady bear mimics'! Some moths can even breath underwater (I didn't believe it until I saw it either)!
Below are some moth sighting highlights from QuestaGamers, that give just a very small taste of the beauty out there! Keep those sightings coming.
Next time you see a moth, don't write it off as the boring cousin of the butterflies. Take a closer look, and remember just how diverse, and suprising moths can be!
