Before you get started...
I would like to give you a short introduction first, as those small and seemingly insignificant creatures bear a few secrets you will get to know about now.

Even though they look like big, colourful butterflies - they're actually big moths, according to the game files.
They wont respawn once killed.
They wont poison you, unlike their respawning relatives.
Those moths are vulnerable to fire, however, their HP is so low you'll most likely kill them with one blow.
While the poison moths prefer natural environments this one can be found in other areas of the game as well.
Only two different items may be dropped: life gems or poison moss.
You can lock on to them, but they wont attack.
Lastly, they were not programmed to have any sort of animation - they just exist without purpose or reason.
Until now no lore or anything else is known about these creatures.

This being said, lets get to where they can be found.

As soon as the Ruin Sentinels lie dead and you lit the Servants' Quarters bonfire, stay in the room you find yourself in and position yourself in the middle, facing the small corridor leading back to the boss room. Look up to the ceiling, there you will find moth number 1.

The first moth here can be found at the first bonfire of this area. As soon as you walk past Felkin and find the Undead Refuge bonfire to your left, turn around 180° and look up. Its hanging right above the exit of the cave.


The second one is close to the poisonous moth on the right side, once you cross the bridge after the second bonfire (Bridge Aproach). Keep a safe distance to the poisonous one by staying on the bridge and turn your camera to the right. It can be found up in the trees.


You'll find one more of them. Go to where the Dark Spirit of Merciless Roenna invades and where you get to collect the key opening up the Undead Lockaway bonfire. Face the direction of the edge and look up, the moth is found sitting in the dead treest to your right. This one is kind of far away, maybe you'll have to take a step back.


Another moth can be found hanging at the wall at the entrance to the Skeleton Lords bossfight.

This moth is well hidden. Either you go to where you find Laddersmith Gilligan or you make your way through the area and enter the balcony from where a desert pyromancer was casting fireballs at you earlier on. The balcony is hidden by an illusory wall. Here you'll also find the Spellquarts Ring +1. Back to the moth, which is hiding at the wall to your right (from Gilligans position) or to your left, next to the balcony.

There are three moths to be found in this area, two of them are visible directly from the bonfire (Shaded Ruins). The first one is to your left, starting from the bonfire. To reach it, jump through one of the windows to your left and safely land on the bridge below you. You'll see a petrified statue in front of you (as long as you didn't free this lion warrior). To your right, up at the wall, the moth is peacefully existing.


Going back to the bonfire you can see the second one sitting in another dead tree on the right side, across the chasm in front of you. To reach it you'll have to make your way to the end of the corridor then turn right, stick to the right and walk to the end of this area. As soon as you made it past the cursed vases you'll see the dead tree and the moth in front of you.


Moth number 3 can be found on your way to Scorpioness Najca, the boss of this area. Walk through the gate where you can also find Creighton The Wanderer and face the backside of this building. Up and then hurrah for moth!

Travel to the Chapel Threshold bonfire and go back to the chapel, where you previously fought Prowling Magus and his congregation. Stay in front of the exit. To the left of the door, in some sort of corner, you'll find another moth sitting at the wall of this building.

Maybe you walked past this one once or serveral times without even noticing, because this one is different from all its brothers and sisters. Maybe you noticed and wondered, "what could this strange shadow be?". It is almost shady - literally. This moth is black and barely visible due to its transparent appearence.
You can find this one in a wooden construction close to the second bonfire (Central Gutter). If you start from there, walk away from the bonfire (do not enter the area to your right) and destroy the poison statues at the end of the path. Jump across to the wooden construction in front of you and enter the building-like scaffold. Now face the left (short) side and equip a torch to reveal its position.

The Shrine of Amana is home to three more moths. One of them is close to the second bonfire (Crumbled Ruins). Make your way into this area until you see a wall shaped in a semicircle (past the old knight). Stay close to the edge (don't fall to your death) and go to the inner side of the semicircle-shaped wall. Now take another look up. You'll see a branch reaching down to the upper part of the wall and on this branch there is another moth to be found.



The next moth can be found in the Demon of Song boss arena, right and high above the entrance pathway. Special thanks to Darkness, who pointed this out in the comments!



If the Demon of Song has been defeated and you've exited the boss room you are now given the option to proceed to the Undead Crypt of explore a secret area to your right. There you'll also find another bonfire but the access is blocked by a petrified statue. The moth can be found either in front or behind the bonfire, depending on your position. If you are standing outside of the tower where the bonfire is in, look up to the branches. Alternatively, walk up the staircase and towards the branches. It is significantly more difficult to reach the moth from that position.



Spoiler ahead: you may also pass through the door upstairs, however, only hollows are able to open the door, so you'll have to sacrifice your humanity for that, if you haven't already

Usually these moths hide outside in the trees, this one on the other hand got lost in the deepest depths. Its not quite easy to spot this one, as it is hiding at the ceiling of the long, dark corridor leading to Velstadt, The King's Aegis. Stop halfway through and turn around to face the staircase where you entered. Using a torch is advised, as the ceiling is barely lit.

Last but not least: the moth found in Aldia's Keep.

Please notice that you won't be able to see this one unless you run the game on highest settings, otherwise the small being wont be rendered thus remain invisible.

This one is the best hidden among them, quietly existing high up in the roof structure of the entrance hall. You might not be able to see it from the first floor, so you'll have to walk all the way upstairs, past the dragon skeleton and the caged giant basilisk. Walk past the door leading to the remaining part of the keep and turn right at the end. From here you can see the entrance hall in front of you, a chest at the end of the path and another unlit sconce. Look up one last time and find the moth. Good luck!

And with that, you're done. Congratulations, you have found all 17 moths in game that I have found so far. Surely, there are more?