Differentiating between a butterfly and a moth
Learn the differences between butterflies and moths!
Last updated on 24 September 2026
Butterflies vs Moths
Both butterflies and moths belong to the order Lepidoptera, which in Greek, lepido means "scale" and ptera means "wings".
The defining feature to differentiate them is their antennae.
Butterflies have club antennae.
Moths have different antennae that can range from skinny to feathery ones which are not clubbed.
Although this is generally a good guiding principle to distinguish butterflies from moths, there are exceptions to this as some moths may have club antennae.
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