The small, brown-winged creature perches on a cutleaf coneflower, searching for nectar. White strips circle its body and splash across its wings, resembling the foamy edges of waves about to reach the shore.

Moth or butterfly?

Butterflies and moths belong to the same taxonomic order – Lepidoptera, which means “scaled.” The wings of both moths and butterflies are covered in tiny scales, which keep them warm, smooth their flight, and create their beautiful patterns (thanks, as always, to Thorben Danke for his extraordinary images).

The differences between the two reflect evolutionary history.

Butterflies diverged from moths during the Jurassic period, about 200 million years ago. One group of moths began to fly during the day instead of at night. That group eventually took advantage of the expanding numbers of flowering plants that developed in the Cretaceous period, only about 100 million years ago. They’re now known as butterflies.

What happened after that is rather complicated.

Butterflies seem to have first emerged in what would become Central/North America, and then spread throughout the world.

The history of moths is murkier. There are many more different kinds of moths, with many different points of origin. Scientists estimate the world holds around 160,000 species of moths, and only about 17,500 species of butterflies.

There are a few ways to distinguish between moths and butterflies. Most moths come in shades of brown. They perch with their wings spread. They have large, slightly furry bodies, and often sport straight, threadlike antennae.

Butterflies, in contrast, tend to have smaller bodies and more brightly colored wings. They more often perch with their wings folded. Their antennae widen at the end, rather like a golf club.

As is always the case with nature, however, there are plenty of exceptions.

Some moths are as brightly colored as any butterfly. Some have feathered rather than straight antennae.

Then there are the skippers.

Their large bodies, small wings and brownish coloring make them look like moths. Their antennae make them look like butterflies. For a while they were classed in their own “superfamily,” but they’re now considered butterflies.

So much to learn.