Lepidoptera

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Lepidoptera

Butterflies

Both moths and butterflies are covered with scales (hence their name). In Illinois, there are 3 groups of Lepidoptera (butterflies, moths, and skippers). The latter group is the family Hesperiidae and is somewhat intermediate between moths and butterflies.

I provide a brief description of each on the right column.

See if you can identify the traits in the slide show below.

Butterflies typically fly during the day as adults. They have clubbed antennae.

Moths

Butterflies typically fly during the night as adults. They often have feathery antennae.

Skippers

Skippers look like butterflies, fly during the day, but lack the clubbed antennae of butterflies.

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