Is it a moth or butterfly?

A local 9-year-old, Kassidy Allen of Washington Twp., took this photo on May 30 and sent it in to the Dayton Daily News. She was at her grandparent’s house in Dayton when she saw this “moth” outside. Kassidy likes to take photos and research what she sees. Here’s what she learned, in her words: “This butterfly might look like a moth because of its colors. This butterfly is named the Cabbage White butterfly (Pieris rapae). Pieris rapae came from Europe and means Cabbage White. The main colors of butterflies are blue, purple, and white throughout the world. We usually see brown and black on moths in most places in Ohio and global but there are pink, orange, elegant shades of probably almost all the shades that people think about (The same thing for butterflies). There’s a difference between a female and a male butterfly. The difference is between the female and the male is that the male is white and the female has brown dots and I believe that the male has black dots. I found this butterfly and it was mistaken by a moth by my Grandpa. I decided to take photos and videotaped outside with my Grandma’s iPhone right after I watered some lovely plants. I had to water the lavenders where the beautiful, female, butterfly was sucking up nectar. I have always been interested in photography since I was about 4 years old.”