The following questions were answered by zoo biologist Ellen Dierenfeld and entomologists John VanDyk and Steve Kutcher.
Color is important in many ways.
It functions as camouflage, to absorb heat, aids in finding a mate, serves as warning, and in many more ways. Though it depends on the species, the female butterfly is often larger. The majority of butterflies feed on flower nectar and pollen. Moths fly mostly at night, have thick bodies, antennae without enlargements on the end, and they spin a cocoon. The females are usually larger, but an entomologist will look for an ovipositer, which is an egg-laying device only found in females.