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Home > Blogs > Birds and Butterflies > Archives > 2008 > December > 30 > Entry
Butterflies, Moths and Skippers
The insects butterflies, moths and skippers belong to the Order Lepidoptera, derived from the Greek words meaning scale-winged, this refers to the thousands of scales that create the distinctive patterns and colors on the insect’s wing. There are approximately 170,000 known species of Lepidoptera; 17,000 of these species are the butterflies, 4,000 are skippers and the rest are moths. There are 700 species native to North America and 130 species in Ohio.
How do you know the difference between the three? Butterflies have antennae with club like ends, most fly during the day, hold their wings upright at rest and the pupa is often called a chrysalis. Moths have feathery antennae, most fly at might the rest with their wings flat and the pupa stage is called a cocoon. The skippers are often considered an intermediate between butterflies and moths. They have hairy bodies like a moth but a hooked antennae that is similar to a butterfly. The pupa stage is often called a chrysalis.
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