Simply put, butterflies are distinguished from moths aka night butterflies based on their active time and physical characteristics. Butterflies are generally active during the day (diurnal), while moths are mostly active at night (nocturnal). The butterfly rests or rests with its wings up, the moth rests with its wings spread. Butterflies usually have a brilliantly beautiful color, moths tend to be dark, dull or gray. However, these differences are always exceptions, so it can not be scientifically established.
Butterflies and moths are very numerous, on the island of Java and Bali Island alone recorded more than 600 species of butterflies. The type of moth has so far not been made a complete list, but it is suspected that there are hundreds of species (Whitten et al., 1999). Butterflies become one of the few types of insects that are not harmful to humans.
Many people love beautiful butterflies, but on the other hand rarely are people who do not feel disgusted with caterpillars, but both are the same creatures. All kinds of butterflies and moths go through the stages of life as eggs, caterpillars, pupae, and ultimately morphed into butterflies or moths.
Butterflies generally live by sucking honey flower (nectar / flower essence). But some of them like fluids sucked from fruits that fall on the ground and rot, carrion, bird droppings, and wet soil.
In contrast to butterflies, caterpillars live primarily by eating foliage. These caterpillars are very greedy, but generally each type of caterpillar specializes in the leaves of certain plant species. So that the presence of a butterfly species in a place, also determined by the availability of plants that become the host of the caterpillar. This is called the butterfly animal
Butterflies and moths are known as plant pollinating insects, which help the flowers develop into fruits. So for farmers, and people in general, these butterflies are very useful to help the way pollination of plants.
On the other hand, the types of caterpillars are known as greedy pests. Not only the seasonal crops that are predated, but also fruit trees and trees in general can be exfoliated leaves by pest caterpillars in a relatively short time. Many types of caterpillar pests, especially from the types of moths that become serious agricultural pests.