The larvae have chewing mouthparts, and are voracious feeders. The larvae are called caterpillars. They are worm-like in shape and some are quite colorful. The larvae have three pairs of true legs on the thorax and a variable number of fleshy appendages called prolegs on the abdomen. Lepidoptera undergo complex metamorphosis.
Butterflies have threadlike antennae with a knob at the end, and fly during the day.
Moths often have feathery antennae, and fly to lights at night. Some moths commonly found in the garden are cutworms, which feed on many crops. The cabbage looper is found on cole crops. Anyone who has grown tomatoes has encountered the tomato hornworm, which gets its name from the distinctive horn projecting from the rear. The adult moth is a few inches long and mottled gray to black with a few yellow bands on the sides of its abdomen.