In Europe there are about 440 species of Butterflies and about 10,000 species of Moths.
In the UK we have over 2,500 species of Moths, but, sadly, under 60 species of Butterflies!
The Lepidoptera are sub-divided into families, some of which are Butterflies but the majority of which are Moths. They are so closely related that some languages do not have separate words for Butterfly and Moth - the French for moth for example is 'Papillon de nuit' which means 'butterfly of night' (confusing as many moths fly by day!).
Have a look at these pairs of photos - which of them are butterflies and which are moths? Difficult isn't it? (answers at the bottom of the page)
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The 7 main groups of European Butterflies are:
- The Skippers otherwise known as Hesperiidae, closely related to Moths.
- The Swallowtails, the Papilionidae, with only one representative on the UK list - and a very rare one too!
- The Whites, the Pieridae, and they are not just Cabbage Whites!
- The Blues, Coppers and Hairstreaks, the Lycaenidae. This family includes the famous Large Blue with its very complex lifecycle involving a close relationship with ants, a species that has recently been successfully re-introduced into the UK.
- The Nymphalidae, a family of stunning butterflies that includes the Red Admiral, the Purple Emperor, and the Fritillaries.
- The Browns, the Satyrinae, a subfamily related to the Admirals, Tortoiseshells and the Fritillaries, it includes the great range of different Browns with their amazing camouflage.
- The Duke Of Burgundy butterfly looks like a small fritillary but is thought to be the only European member of the otherwise tropical family the Metalmarks.
Answers to the Butterfly or Moth puzzle above:
top pair: L. Eyed Hawk-moth. R. Large Skipper butterfly.
middle pair: L. Comma butterfly. R. Six-spot Burnet moth.
bottom pair: L. Uranus moth from southern USA. R. Two-tailed Pasha butterfly from southern Europe.
Were you right? There are several identification quizzes to do on our Play and Learn page.
Gallery of UK Butterfly families
Click on the first image to enlarge it and scroll through the photos by hovering the mouse over each image and clicking on the 'next' button that will appear on the right hand side of it.
