Moths are in the insect Order Lepidoptera, and share this Order with Butterflies. There are some 160,000 species of moths in the world, compared to 17,500 species of butterflies. In the United States, there are nearly 11,000 species of moths.

Is a moth a bug or insect?

Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of which have yet to be described.

Is a moth and a butterfly an insect?

You probably won't be too shocked to learn moths and butterflies are pretty darn similar. In fact, they belong to the same group of flying insects called Lepidoptera, translating as 'scale wings' in Greek.