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Handouts
Beautiful Bugs: Butterflies vs. Moths

Compares these two winged insects by wing shape, antenna type, resting posture, and when they are active.

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Beautiful Bugs! Butterflies vs. Moths! The Daytime Dancers - Butterflies love the sunshine! They flutter from flower to flower during the day to drink sweet nectar using a long, curly tongue called a proboscis. They are important pollinators, helping bright, colorful daytime flowers grow and spread all over the world. The Nighttime Navigators - Moths are the creatures of the night! They often fly by moonlight, searching for pale, sweet-smelling flowers that bloom after the sun goes down. Many moths have incredible fuzzy antennas that help them smell a tasty flower or find a friend from miles away in the dark! Incredible Metamorphosis - When a butterfly caterpillar is ready to change, it creates a smooth, hard shell called a chrysalis, usually hanging under a green branch. Moth caterpillars do things differently! They spin soft, silky blankets called cocoons, often wrapping themselves up snugly in leaves right on the ground. Spot the Difference! Butterfly: Bright, colorful wings held straight up and pressed together when resting. Thin antennas with little clubs or bumps on the very ends. Moth: Earthy, perfectly camouflaged wings folded flat like a cozy tent over their backs. Thick, feathery antennas with no bumps on the ends. Explorer's Challenge - Next time you see a winged bug resting on a brick wall or a porch light, look closely at its antennas and how it holds its wings! Is it a daytime butterfly resting for the night, or a nighttime moth waking up? Remember to look with your eyes, not your hands!

Related Creatures in the Directory:

🐞 Insect Life Cycle (Butterfly)🐞 Peppered Moth🐞 Purple hairstreak butterfly🐞 Meadow Brown Butterfly🐞 Glasswing Butterfly
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