Every winged insect that looks like a butterfly may not actually be a butterfly, but instead may be a skipper or a moth.  How can I tell them apart?

Butterfly:

• Wings are colorful and more vibrant in color

• Antennae are thin and have knobs at the end

• Butterflies only fly during the day

• When resting, butterflies hold their wings upward vertically

Skipper:

• Erratic flying pattern - fast and quick

• Body is fuzzy and look more like moths

• Heads are large and wide and eyes are further apart

• Antennae tips are curved sharply/hooked and are thicker at the top and narrower at the bottom

• Wings are stronger but smaller and are usually more triangular shaped than butterflies

Moths

• Bodies are thicker and very fuzzy

• Moths fly at night mostly

• Moths are usually a dull color - not colorful

• Wings are held flat against their body when resting

• Antennae are branch like and look like hairs

A fun activity to do with your “Growing Sprouts” is to spend both a bright sunny day outside exploring and looking for butterflies and skippers who may be more active on sunny and less windy days and then look for moths in the evenings.  Count how many of each you can find in one day and try to identify the differences in their characteristics.  Can you get close enough to see the fuzzy body of the moth versus the hooked antennae of the skipper?  

When exploring butterflies, skippers and moths, did you see what type of diets help them survive?  Is there more we can do to provide nutrients and help butterflies, skippers and moths survive?  Yes - we can do simple things in our own backyard and encourage others to do the same.  Explore these ways to have your “Growing Sprout” help out the butterflies, skippers and moths in your area:

• Plant annuals and perennials that provide nectar (nutrients).  Examples include:  dill, Mexican sunflower, marigolds, parsley, petunias, bee balm, joe pye weed, verbena, violets, zinnias, wild lupine, nasturtium, milkweed, blanket flower . . . just to name a few.

• Provide protected areas all year through which include bushes, tall grasses, water sources and areas out of the wind.

• Minimize or stop using pesticides - build soil and plant health more naturally.

Enjoy all the ways to begin to plant and explore with your “Growing Sprouts” to invite more butterflies, skippers and moths into your backyard and continue to keep track of what you see.