Acraea Butterfly vs Teak Defoliator Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Acraea Butterfly Teak Defoliator Moth
Scientific Name Acraea acerata Hyblaea puera
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Nymphalidae Hyblaeidae
Size 45-60 mm wingspan 30-40 mm wingspan
Habitat Underground Farmland
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi) South Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Acraea Butterfly

A medium-sized butterfly with translucent orange wings and dark veins, giving it a delicate, window-like appearance. It is toxic and part of a large mimicry ring in East Africa.

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Did You Know?

It is a significant pest of sweet potato crops in East Africa, with larvae sometimes completely defoliating plants.

Teak Defoliator Moth

A medium-sized moth with orange-brown forewings and bright orange hindwings bordered in black. Its caterpillars are the most devastating defoliators of teak plantations across South Asia, stripping trees bare.

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Did You Know?

During outbreak years, entire teak forests turn brown as millions of caterpillars strip every leaf, though the trees typically refoliate.