why do we kill the moths, but treasure butterflies? BBC4

The only wildlife intentionally killed by myself, are slugs.

I like beetles, don't hurt them if I can avoid it.
Also I like most moths I think, but I hate and will kill clothes moths .
I had lovely huge moth come into my bathroom a couple of years ago, gorgeous thing.
Spent about 20 minutes catching it to put it out the window!

I give slugs cat biscuits. They love sucking on them.

Facts - the Dennis Nilsen of the Slug world

Butterflies have qualities we admire - aloof, independent, purposeful and skillful - and most of all attractive. They have symmetrical patterns on their wings and it's been widely documented that people with symmetrical faces are considered most attractive.

Moths are needy (e.g. light), unattractive, clumsy, invaders of personal space and seemingly have no purpose.

We make subjective judgements on these beasts as we do with each other.

doantwin2easy - eloquent but total bo llocks.

care to elaborate bb

bees/wasps
squirrels /rats
butterflies/moths
snails/slugs
whales/sharks
doves/pigeons
cat /hyena
ladybird/cochroach

and so on ...

Yes - you are drawing a distinction that hardly exists, except in popular perception. All the quaities you attribute to butterflies apply equally to moths. The qualities you attribute to Moths are selective subjective and latterly (in the statement) frankly ridiculous.

Try applying your criteria to the Hummingbird Hawkmoth and almost any one of the Skippers.

blackbarn, popular perception was exactly what I was talking about - if you can get your head round that. I'm thinking how we perceive them not how the cnts perceive themselves.

If you think that both are viewed as having similar characteristics, it's clearly not me that's talking shte.

I quite clearly said that the judgement was subjective, but valid all the same, and an explanation as to how our treatment of them differs.

Read the first two statements of your 23.11 post and if you think that matches your 23.49 "defence" then fine. I have nothing more to add. I read your entire post carefully before posting.

Yes, to clarify it for you, the two statements refer to the subjective qualities that a large majority of the population, attribute (rightly or wrongly), to these two insects - regardless of the objective reality, or the specialist knowledge that you may have on them.

And therefore how it impacts on our subsequent treatment of them. Perhaps in your darkest moments, you would agree that, instinctively, even children view and treat them differently.

I hope that makes it clear for you.

Cracking effort at hindsight - who could have possibly guessed from what you said in your 23.11 statements, that yours was an an objective assessment of the public's view of lepidoptera?.  My word you're smart. You've now even moved on, as a means of defence to state the obvious.

We make subjective judgements on these beasts as we do with each other

This was your clue mate. You still haven't said which bit you disagree with.

I feel sorry for Moths ,Catch them if I can and release them into the Night before they roast themselves on a light bulb 

I love spiders they are welcome ,If a slug strays in I retrieve it and put in the garden ,I try to put snails in a safe place if they are out the front of house on path ..

I HATE WASPS AND WILL KILL THEM ON SIGHT ,AND FLIES AND MOSQUITO LOOKING THINGS ..

I would have liked to say I wouldn't hurt a fly

Surely everyone loves big moths.  Its clothes moths we hate - once you see their work you are a convert.  I wouldn't waste your sympathy on beetles - they are phenomenally successful.  And I think they get us on the 4th stage of death/decomposition.

Thanks for sharing that Snippet of Info Re:decomposition  Bodil ,Dear Me They are now on my Hit list

My money is 100% on the beetles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nu0brlGGQ2Y

wow doantwin2easy ,

Judging insects on their usefulness to the greater society? Sounded like thatcher talking about the unemployed. Calvinist Entomology.

I suppose BEES and ANTS are the greatest in that scale.

my AUNT is a B.

judging these insects on their aesthetics and being anthropomorphic towards them was the gist of my post.

despite what we'd like to believe, there's no purpose in this world for any of us ultimately, but we still make judgements on other animals using the same cognitive library, or belief system, by which we assess other humans.

coachbusters 23.34 post gives several examples.