Macro Butterfly.... or moth?

Butterfly.... or moth? · 06:02 AM

This was taken earlier in the year. I sure do like the FA-100mm Macro!

**ffking** · 10-20-2017, 06:39 AM

that's a skipper butterfly - albeit a rather ragged one - nice crisp focus

Dewman · 10-20-2017, 07:10 AM

Thanks, How does one tell the difference between a moth and a butterfly?

**ffking** · 10-20-2017, 07:24 AM - **1 Like**

Mostly butterflies have clubbed antennae and moths don't (butterflies are suborder Rhopalocera of the order Lepidoptera - moths are the rest!), and butterflies fold their wings over their backs so you see the under surface an moths fold them flat so you can see the upper surface - but some moths are more closely related to butterflies than to some other moths, so like everything else, it's not quite that simple in practice. The skippers, for example, are quite moth-like in their appearance, but have butterfly antennae - whereas some brightly coloured day-flying moths (burnets for example) also have moderately clubbed antennae, but there is a little hook on them also.

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10-20-2017, 06:39 AM	#2
ffking Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Old South Wales Posts: 6,039	that's a skipper butterfly - albeit a rather ragged one - nice crisp focus

10-20-2017, 07:10 AM	#3
Dewman Veteran Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Idaho Posts: 5,492 Original Poster	Thanks, How does one tell the difference between a moth and a butterfly?

10-20-2017, 07:24 AM - 1 Like	#4
ffking Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Old South Wales Posts: 6,039	Mostly butterflies have clubbed antennae and moths don't (butterflies are suborder Rhopalocera of the order Lepidoptera - moths are the rest!), and butterflies fold their wings over their backs so you see the under surface an moths fold them flat so you can see the upper surface - but some moths are more closely related to butterflies than to some other moths, so like everything else, it's not quite that simple in practice. The skippers, for example, are quite moth-like in their appearance, but have butterfly antennae - whereas some brightly coloured day-flying moths (burnets for example) also have moderately clubbed antennae, but there is a little hook on them also.