There are about 150000 species of butterflies in the world, of which about 20000 are day-flying butterflies and are called "butterflies" and about 130000 live at night and are called "moths". In Israel, it is estimated that there are about 2300 species (of which about 140 are day butterflies).

There are several differences between day butterflies and moths:

1. Butterflies fly during the day and moths at night.
2. Butterflies have club-shaped antennae, whereas moths have antennae of various shapes and not club-shaped.

3. Butterflies rest, usually, with their wings perpendicular to their body, wing against wing, whereas moths rest with their wings laid like roof tiles horizontally to their body.

4. Butterflies have a body that is small relative to their wings; it is narrow and slender and is, usually, sparsely haired; moths have a thick and bulky body, and it is in many cases furry.

5. Butterflies do not have a hook or thick bristle that connects the forewing to the hindwing during flight as in moths (in moths too, it is sometimes tiny and not visible to the eye).

6. Usually, a butterfly pupa has a conical structure and is usually found hanging from a branch or wall. In moths, the pupa looks like a barrel and is usually found on or in the ground. In certain families of moths, the pupa is found inside a cocoon that the larva makes.