Spot the difference: butterfly or moth?

By Lisa Hendry and Camilla Tham

With so many similarities between moths and butterflies, find out what to look for to tell them apart.

Here in the UK we tend to think of butterflies as colourful insects flitting about country meadows, whereas we see moths as dull, brown pests that eat our clothes.

Alessandro Giusti, Curator of Moths at the Museum, reveals that this is not the case in many parts of the world - moths can be as brightly patterned and iridescent as butterflies.

Join him behind the scenes of our collection as he shows science communicator Camilla Tham features that, in most cases, will help you to distinguish moths from butterflies.

Get help identifying UK butterflies, moths and other wildlife.