What is the difference between a skipper and a butterfly

Some can be quite colourful. Moths: rest with their wings outstretched along their back, or tented. Have feathery antennae. They spin a cocoon with silk for metamorphosis, and some species are active during the night, while others are active during the day. They are usually muted colours. Their bodies are usually fuzzier and plumper than that of butterflies. Skippers: are often considered a mix of butterflies and moths.

They rest usually with their wings angled upwards, sometimes outstretched, although parted, and rarely completely folded upwards. Like butterflies, they are active during the day, and have smooth antennae with a club end, although the club is often hooked.

Moths : Wings are linked together with a bristle-like structure called a frenulum Butterflies and Skippers : Wings are not linked — no frenulum Exceptions : Australia has the only skipper in the world with a frenulum, the Regent Skipper Euschemon rafflesia Hesperiidae.

Also, many moths do not have a frenulum. Resting posture. Moths : Hold wings flat when resting Butterflies and Skippers : Hold wings together above body when resting Exceptions : Many moths, including geometrid moths hold their wings up in a butterfly-like fashion when resting. Butterflies in the lycaenid subfamily Riodininae, and skippers in the subfamily Pyrginae hold their wings flat when resting.

Moths : Forelegs fully developed Butterflies and Skippers : Forelegs reduced, missing terminal end segments Exceptions : Only some butterflies have reduced forelegs. Most skippers have normal forelegs.

Moths : Pupae spin a cocoon Butterflies and Skippers : Pupae chrysalids not in cocoon Exceptions : Many moths do not spin a cocoon, many butterflies and skippers form a silken shelter, often with plant leaves. Moths : Fly at night Butterflies and Skippers : Fly during the day Exceptions : A few butterflies and skippers are active at dusk, many moth species are day-flying.

Back to top. Search website Submit Search. Close Modal Dialog. When does it fly? Butterflies are usually active during daylight hours. Some species are most active at dusk and dawn. Most moths are nocturnal, but there are exceptions. Butterflies often have relatively thinner bodies than moths, though members of the skipper family of butterflies have thicker, mothlike bodies.

The larvae caterpillars of butterflies are rarely considered destructive pests, although there are exceptions. The larvae of several kinds of moths are agricultural and other pests. Coloration varies greatly, but many butterflies are more colorful than average moths. There are plenty of exceptions, however! Skippers family Hesperiidae Small to medium butterflies, fairly drab colored or orangish, usually with relatively large eyes, short antennae with hooked tips, and chunky body. They are named for their skipping flight.

Spread-wing skippers typically rest with wings flat and spread to the side; this group includes the silver-spotted skipper; the cloudywing, duskywing, and sootywing species; and the common checkered-skipper — plus others. Grass skippers typically rest with hindwings held flat, parallel to the ground, and forewings positioned upright in a V shape — they look like tiny fighter jets.

Swallowtails family Papilionidae Medium to large butterflies, often showy and brightly colored, most with tails on the hindwings. Many are black with blue, yellow, and red markings, or are white or yellow with wide black stripes. Identification usually involves details of stripes and spots. Swallowtail larvae have a Y-shaped organ that protrudes from behind the head when the larva is disturbed. It emits a foul odor that can deter enemies.

The chrysalis is suspended by a silken loop around the thorax and by a spot of silk at the tip of the abdomen. Examples include black, eastern tiger, spicebush, giant, and zebra swallowtails. Whites, Sulphurs, and Yellows family Pieridae Small to medium butterflies that are mainly white, yellow, or orange, often with dark patterns such as a black border.

They usually rest with wings closed, so only the underside of the wings is visible. Identification involves overall color plus lines, spots, and mottling on wings. Among the whites, Missouri species include the checkered white, cabbage white, Olympia white, and falcate orangetip.

Among the sulphurs, Missouri has the clouded, cloudless, orange, and dainty sulphurs, the southern dogface, the sleepy orange, the little and Mexican yellows, and more. Blues, Coppers, Hairstreaks, and Harvesters family Lycaenidae Usually small butterflies, usually blue or gray, often with banded antennae. Identification usually involves spots or lines on the underside of wings, and presence or absence of tails.

Larvae are sluglike short and rather flattened. Many species gather in large numbers at puddles. Blues can be tiny with reflective blue on the upperside. Coppers are similar but with reflective copper color. The one harvester species on our continent is a small orangeish butterfly whose caterpillars prey on woolly aphids. Brush-Footed Butterflies family Nymphalidae Small, medium, and large butterflies; a large, colorful, and diverse group.

In many species, the main upperside color is orange, brown, or black. In this family of butterflies, the first pair of legs are small, brushlike, and held against the body, so they perch and walk only with their back two pairs of legs, making them appear four-legged. Identifying species within this group usually involves noticing jagged or smooth wing margins, eyespots, dark patterning, and presence of white or silver spots on the underside. Many familiar butterflies are in this family: the monarch, fritillaries, checkerspots, crescents, anglewings commas, question mark , leafwings, mourning cloak, buckeye, red admiral, ladies, red-spotted purple, viceroy, American snout, the emperors, and satyrs and wood-nymphs.

In the past, the subfamilies of this large family have been treated as separate families. Metalmarks family Riodinidae Small butterflies, usually bright rusty-brown, with numerous small metallic spots on the wings.

Their eyes are blue green. Larvae are covered with dense fuzzy hairs. Not well represented in Missouri; the northern metalmark and swamp metalmark both usually occur only in the Ozarks. Adults fly low to the ground and often rest on the undersides of leaves, wings spread flat. Different butterflies occur in different habitats, which usually correspond to the locations of their larval food plants.

Habitat and Conservation Where do you find butterflies? Nearly anywhere, but here are some hints: Butterflies typically fly near their host plants — the specific types of plants a species must lay eggs on, because their caterpillars can only eat that certain type of plant.

Cabbage butterflies, for instance, lay eggs on cabbage and other members of the mustard family. Look for males perching or patrolling near the host plants, awaiting females to fly near.