Photo: Emily Richardson

BUTTERFLIES VS. MOTHS
If you can get a good look at them, the shape of the antennae is the best way to distinguish butterflies from moths. Except for one group of tropical butterflies, all butterflies have simple antennae that end in a swelling or "club." The clubs may be very pronounced, as in the Nokomis Fritillary or more subtle, as in the White-dotted Cattleheart. Moth antennae range in shape from simple, as in the Rustic sphinx, to feather-like , as in the male White-streaked saturnia moth, but all of them lack the clubbed tip.

Most adult butterflies are active during the day and brightly colored. Their bodies are generally slender and not especially pubescent (hairy). In contrast, adult moths are generally nocturnal or are active during twilight or before sunrise. Although some, such as the Io moth are brightly colored or have colorful "eyespots," most moths are drab, with cryptic wing patterns. Bodies tend to be bulky and are often quite pubescent.

Photo: US Fish and Wildlife Service

FLORIDA'S BUTTERFLIES
Out of the 750 butterfly species in North America, more than 100 can be found in Florida. Many butterfly species are at risk of becoming extinct due mainly to habitat loss. Florida is home to many of these endangered and extremely rare butterflies including the Schaus Swallowtail and the Miami Blue. The Schaus Swallowtail can be found in North Key Largo and the larger Keys. They are found only in tropical hardwood hammocks and neighboring scrub areas. They are identified by their narrow central yellow band on their forewing and their tails are edged with yellow, filled with black. They feed on nectar from flowers of cheese-shrub, wild coffee, and guava.

The Miami Blue is found in the Florida Keys and the West Indies. They also inhabit tropical hardwood hammocks like the Schaus Swallowtail. Their upperside is mostly blue and the females have an orange spot at the lower edge of its hindwing. Both sexes have 2 eyespots and a wide white band. Their food source is primarily flower nectar. For more information on Florida’s butterflies download and print ID cards for your next hiking trip. You can also learn more by going to our links section.

Resources for this article provided by Wikipedia & butterfliesandmoths.org (Opler, Paul A., Harry Pavulaan, Ray E. Stanford, Michael Pogue, coordinators. 2006. Butterflies and Moths of North America. Bozeman, MT: Mountain Prairie Information Node.)