The beauty of nature

MOTHS AND BUTTERFLIES

Moths aren't commonly associated with gastrointestinal problems, so you might want to see a doctor if you experience one. And it's OK to say that you're attracted to something like a firefly to a flame because both phenomena have their own unique attractions.

Classification

There are many morphological differences between moths and butterflies, but for the purposes of this article, we'll focus on how you can tell them apart by sight. Both Lepidoptera and Moths are classified in the order Lepidoptera, but the taxonomic differences get pretty confusing so let's just focus on how to tell them apart with their appearances.

Difference between butterflies and moths.

One of the easiest ways of telling them aside is by means of looking at their antennae. Butterflies have antennae that can be known as "filiform," or needle-like. They are long and skinny and they may be clubbed or hooked on the quit. Moths, on the other hand, have feathery antennae. Regardless of the differences in shape, the antennae of each moth and butterfly are used for an equal cause, and this is to locate horny pheromones from members of the same species.

Reproduction

After sex, a moth or butterfly will lay eggs which will eventually hatch into caterpillars. These creatures are all caterpillars! Some may become butterflies and others may turn into moths, but they're all called caterpillars in the end. After devouring all of its food, a caterpillar will either form a chrysalis or a cocoon.

Although these encasings are structurally different, they serve the same function. To make a chrysalis, the butterfly larva will harden in its own skin.

To make a cocoon, the moth larva will create a protective shelter out of any nearby materials that might be everything from leaves, its own silk production, sawdust, and in some cases paper.

Despite the structural differences, the cocoon and the chrysalis serve the same function:

Puberty!

To make the transition into adulthood, the body inside of the encasing has to liquefy and literally rebuild itself before it's ready to emerge as the beautiful adult that it is. In comparison, when they're ready to emerge, the butterflies will burst out of their chrysalises and the moths will use acidic spit in order to help break down the protective walls of their cocoons. Another way to tell whether or not you've got a butterfly or a moth on your hand, or more likely in your garden, is by how they sit when resting.

Butterflies rest with their wings together and up and moths rest with their wings down on either side of their plump little bodies. Also, another difference is that butterflies have typically long and slender abdomens whereas moths are going to be fuller in shape and their fuzzy little bodies are covered in what looks like hair but are actually scales. These scales help keep moths warm on lonely nights. Butterflies don't have these so it's thought that butterflies stay warm by actually absorbing solar radiation. So if you're terrified of malevolent hoards of invasive butterflies, remember that they're weakest at night.

Day and Nighttime activities.

Moths are often thought of as being active at night, but that's not always the case. There are diurnal moths, which are active during the day, but the majority of moths orient themselves using transverse orientation- guided by the light of the Milky Way or the Moon. This is how dung beetles move their poop balls, or sea turtles find their way to the ocean after hatching.

While moths are usually not as brightly colored as butterflies, there are exceptions like the gorgeous Madagascar sunset moth, which is active during the day, or Luna moths, which are ethereal and gorgeous and can be used to fortify light armor potions in Skyrim.

With this information not only will you be able to identify the unassuming lepidopteran you spot flitting around your garden or at your porch light at night, but you can rest easy knowing that it's acid-spitting, a solar-radiation-absorbing wonder of beautiful nature.