Beautiful moth

my coworker and I went on a walk at lunch and we came across this moth. Well we assume it’s a moth because it wasn’t big enough to be a butterfly.

When it was flying, it was purple and had the most beautiful design, but the outside of the wings, when the wings were closed was an orange-yellow

Here’s a picture of the beautiful moth. Not the best photo I know.

if you know what it is, let me know please

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ArishMell · 70-79, M

Good photograph!

I don't know the species but it is not size that differentiates moths from butterflies. My copy of Garden Wildlife (pub. Collins in its "Nature Guide" series) gives the main differences as:

- Most moths are nocturnal and butterflies diurnal,

- Butterflies' antennae have a bulbous tip, those of moths are plain or feathery.

On the size of the animals, some moths are larger than the smallest butterflies.

I think that creature is a butterfly, from being active in bright sunshine and from the organ on the antenna tip. .