🦋 Nature Study: Skippers

Is a Skipper a Butterfly or a Moth? 🦋🐛

Have you ever seen a tiny insect zipping quickly from flower to flower, almost like it’s skipping through the air? That’s a Skipper! But here’s the big question:

👉 Is it a butterfly or a moth?

The answer: A Skipper is a butterfly!
Let’s find out why.

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Butterflies vs. Moths – How to Tell Them Apart

Think of butterflies and moths like two different teams. Each team has special “uniforms” that help us tell them apart.

Team Butterfly 🦋

• Antennae (the little feelers on their head) look like straight sticks with knobs at the end like tiny lollipops!
• They’re usually awake in the day.
• They rest with their wings standing up like a book.
• They often wear bright, colorful clothes (wings).

Team Moth 🐛

• Antennae can be feathery or plain sticks, no knobs.
• They’re usually awake at night.
• They rest with their wings spread out flat.
• They wear camouflage clothes —browns and grays, to hide in the dark.

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So Where Do Skippers Belong?

Skippers are in the Butterfly Family (Hesperiidae). They just happen to look a little different!

• Their antennae still have knobs but they are hooked, almost like little crochet hooks.
• They are awake in the day, sipping nectar from flowers.
• They sometimes rest in a funny position, front wings up, back wings out flat.
• Their bodies are a little chubbier like moths, but that’s just their style.

✨ That’s why scientists call them butterflies with a twist!

Skipper display @ Nature Centre

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Fun “Spot the Difference” Game

Next time you see one outside, ask:

1. Do its antennae have a knob at the end? ✅ Butterfly team!
2. Is it flying around in the daytime? ✅ Butterfly team!
3. Does it zip around super fast, like it’s skipping? ✅ That’s a Skipper!

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Fun Fact 🌸

Skippers got their name because of the way they fly, they don’t glide smoothly like other butterflies. Instead, they skip and dart around like they just had too much sugar!

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Take Away

Go outside with a notebook and draw:

• One butterfly
• One moth
• One skipper

Compare their antennae, body shape, and wing position. Which looks most like the skipper you spotted?

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Nature Study: Butterflies & Moths