Quiz: Moth or butterfly?

Moths and butterflies are similar. Take this quiz to see if you can tell them apart.

1. You see something fluttering by you on a walk before dinner. It’s evening, so it is probably a:

A. Moth

B. Butterfly

C. Not enough information to tell

2. It lands, and you notice its wings rest to each side of its body, instead of closing together above its body. This is evidence it’s a:

A. Moth

B. Butterfly

C. Not enough information to tell

3. You get a closer look at the body. It seems thick. This makes you think it might be a:

A. Moth

B. Butterfly

C. Not enough information to tell

4. You also see six spindly legs on the body, and a head, abdomen and thorax. This tells you it must be a …

A. Moth

B. Butterfly

C. Not enough information to tell

5. The insect flies away. On the ground, you notice a tiny, silk casing tucked into leaves. An insect is molting inside. That insect is probably a …

A. Moth

B. Butterfly

C. Not enough information to tell

Answers

1. A. Moths are nocturnal and active at night. Butterflies are awake during the daytime.

2. A. Moths wings rest wide-open, while butterflies close their wings.

3. A. Moths bodies are thicker than butterflies’ thin bodies.

4. C. Both insects have six legs and these parts in their bodies.

5. A. Moths molt inside of cocoons they make by spinning and covering themselves in silk. These are often buried or on the ground. According to the Monarch Joint Venture, butterflies, on the other hand, molt in hard exoskeletons called chrysalises, which usually hang higher off the ground.