The Simple Things

Taking time to live well
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Taking Time to Live Well

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Illustration by Rachel Grant

Nature Studies | Butterflies vs Moths

Iona Bower July 23, 2022

Butterflies are poster children among insects. In contrast, moths are routinely vilified. Yet moths and butterflies are essentially the same

  • All are scale-winged creatures in the order Lepidoptera, more closely related to one another than falcons are to hawks. Evolutionarily, the six butterfly families nestle within 120-ish moth families.

  • In the 18th century, they were generally all known as ‘flies’. The word ‘butterfly’ supposedly came about because one springflying species (the Brimstone) was referred to as the “buttercoloured fly.”

  • The six families that became known as the butterflies all have a couple of major characteristics in common: they fly exclusively (or nearly so) by day, and have bulbous tips to their antennae (which only a few moths do).

  • However, supposedly consistent differences disintegrate under cross-examination. In fact, we have four times more day-flying moth species than butterflies, for example.

  • Linguistically, English is an outlier in differentiating between moths and butterflies. French, German and Dutch refer to butterflies and night-butterflies.

If you’d like to learn more about butterflies, in our July issue, our regular feature, ‘Know A Thing Or Two’ looks at butterflies. Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

More from the July issue…

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How to | Connect with a Friend
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Jul 23, 2022
Nature Studies | Butterflies vs Moths
Jul 23, 2022
Jul 23, 2022
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Jul 19, 2022
Birdwatch | The Swift
Jul 19, 2022
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More nature studies…

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Apr 1, 2025
Language | Learn to speak 'Duck' abroad
Apr 1, 2025
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Feb 22, 2025
How To | Keep a Nature Diary
Feb 22, 2025
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Nature | Waterfowl Valentines
Feb 14, 2025
Feb 14, 2025
InNature Tagsissue 121, nature studies, butterflies
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  Buy ,  download  or  subscribe   See the sample of our latest issue  here   Buy a copy of our latest anthology:  A Year of Celebrations   Buy a copy of  Flourish 2 , our wellbeing bookazine  Listen to  our podcast  - Small Ways to Live Well
Feb 27, 2025
Feb 27, 2025

Buy, download or subscribe

See the sample of our latest issue here

Buy a copy of our latest anthology: A Year of Celebrations

Buy a copy of Flourish 2, our wellbeing bookazine

Listen to our podcast - Small Ways to Live Well

Feb 27, 2025
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The Simple Things is published by Iceberg Press

The Simple Things

Taking time to live well

We celebrate slowing down, enjoying what you have, making the most of where you live, enjoying the company of of friends and family, and feeding them well. We like to grow some of our own vegetables, visit local markets, rummage for vintage finds, and decorate our home with the plunder. We love being outdoors and enjoy the satisfaction that comes with a job well done.

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