Science Buddies, please read this FIRST before you work on the mission together with your young scientist. CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION FOR SCIENCE BUDDIES ONLY.
Mission 6.1: Moths vs Butterflies
Do you know the difference between a butterfly and a moth?
During National Moth Week we will discover the difference and see if you can find some moths around your house.
Did you know that they are more moths than butterflies in the United States? We often only think of a few different types, but there are hundreds of different moths and butterflies that fly in our skies.
Moths and butterflies are insects. Within the group of insects, they belong to a scientific group of animals called Lepidoptera.
What is the difference between a moth and a butterfly? The Library of Congress Science References can help. Look at the pictures on the Children's Butterfly Site to help you see the difference too.
Do you know the difference between a butterfly and a moth?
During National Moth Week we will discover the difference and see if you can find some moths around your house.
Did you know that they are more moths than butterflies in the United States? We often only think of a few different types, but there are hundreds of different moths and butterflies that fly in our skies.
Moths and butterflies are insects. Within the group of insects, they belong to a scientific group of animals called Lepidoptera.
What is the difference between a moth and a butterfly? The Library of Congress Science References can help. Look at the pictures on the Children's Butterfly Site to help you see the difference too.
I bet you have a favorite. Look at this website and make a checklist of the moths and butterflies in the county where you live. Look at the image to the left to see how to change the region to the US, New Jersey, and the county you live in. Our school is right on the border between Morris and Somerset County. You may be in one of these counties or another close by. It is possible you might have different species at your house than we do around the school.
You can also look at the Butterflies of NJ and Butterflies of NJ website - Moths.
Write a comment in the space below to tell me which one you like the most!
What You Need and What To Do
In your Mission Report, draw and label how you can tell the difference between a moth and a butterfly. You can even print and paste a picture of your favorite NJ butterfly or moth. Make sure you tell which is which!
Make sure to write any questions in the comments or write down any questions that you might have on your Mission Report sheet.
What's Going On?
Butterflies and Moths are part of the same animal family - Lepidoptera. Sometimes it can be hard to tell them apart.
A good thing to remember is that moths will land with their wings held down while butterflies will fold them together over their back.
What's Next?
Pay attention to the moths and butterflies that you see. What are they doing? When are they active? Do they stay by trees or fly in the open? What colors do you see?
You can also look at the Butterflies of NJ and Butterflies of NJ website - Moths.
Write a comment in the space below to tell me which one you like the most!
What You Need and What To Do
In your Mission Report, draw and label how you can tell the difference between a moth and a butterfly. You can even print and paste a picture of your favorite NJ butterfly or moth. Make sure you tell which is which!
Make sure to write any questions in the comments or write down any questions that you might have on your Mission Report sheet.
What's Going On?
Butterflies and Moths are part of the same animal family - Lepidoptera. Sometimes it can be hard to tell them apart.
A good thing to remember is that moths will land with their wings held down while butterflies will fold them together over their back.
What's Next?
Pay attention to the moths and butterflies that you see. What are they doing? When are they active? Do they stay by trees or fly in the open? What colors do you see?
Mission 6.2: Moth Hunt
This idea is from National Moth Week
What You Need
Science Buddies please help guide the activity, set up the experiment, and help practice safe science.
What You Need
What To Do
Please remember to make a Mission Report to keep track of what you do. Scientists keep a written and drawn record of what they do. Write down and draw what you did, what happened, and what you discovered.
Clean Up
What's Going On?
Scientists are not really sure why moths are attracted to lights, but it helps us to see them easily.
What's Next?
Websites with More Information
Come back next week to learn more about the sky around us and a super special event coming up in August!
This idea is from National Moth Week
What You Need
Science Buddies please help guide the activity, set up the experiment, and help practice safe science.
What You Need
- a fluorescent light, blacklight, or other light that you can bring and set outside for an hour or two. Any outdoor light may work for this if it is not too bright.
- a white sheet or piece of material (An old white shower curtain works too)
- a way to hang the sheet near the light.
- a ruler
- OPTIONAL: Go "Sugaring" for moths by putting "moth juice" on a nearby tree. To attract the most moths, you need a mix of old fermented fruit and sugar. Your Science Buddy MUST help with this*.
What To Do
- Before it gets dark, hang the sheet on a wall, clothesline, between two trees, or on any other surface if can be sturdy.
- Put the light near the ground and have it shine on the sheet.
- Turn the light on as the sun is starting to set. Light attracts moths and other insects. They will fly around the light and often land on the sheet.
- This page on the National Moth Week website gives you some other tips for finding moths.
Please remember to make a Mission Report to keep track of what you do. Scientists keep a written and drawn record of what they do. Write down and draw what you did, what happened, and what you discovered.
- Draw or take pictures of some of the moths and insects that you found. If you use a flash, moths may be scared away temporarily, but they will probably come back.
- Count how many different types you saw or how many of the same type you saw.
- Use your ruler to measure some of the things you see.
- Were they different colors? What colors did you see on the insects you saw?
Clean Up
- I would recommend that you leave the sheet out overnight so that all the insects can find their way home. You can clean off the sheet the next day and maybe use it again for future moth hunts.
What's Going On?
Scientists are not really sure why moths are attracted to lights, but it helps us to see them easily.
What's Next?
Websites with More Information
- If you find a caterpillar you can help to raise it. (Check this website - Butterfly and Moth Rearing - for information on how to do this.) You need to keep track of what kind of plant it was on. This is called the host plant. Caterpillars tend to use only one type of host plant. You will need to keep offering it this type of plant until it metamorphosizes into a chrysalis (butterflies) or cocoon (moths).
- Butterflies and Moths of North America
- BioKids - Butterflies and Moths
- Go to the Duke Farms Family Moth Night on July 29th, 2017. Click HERE for more information.
Come back next week to learn more about the sky around us and a super special event coming up in August!