African Moon Moth vs Powder Post Termite

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute African Moon Moth Powder Post Termite
Scientific Name Argema mimosae Cryptotermes primus
Order Lepidoptera Blattodea
Family Saturniidae Kalotermitidae
Size Wingspan 100-120mm 4-6 mm
Habitat Heathland Woodlands
Diet Wood Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions Africa Northern and eastern Australia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

African Moon Moth

A large pale green silk moth with long hindwing tails and maroon eyespots on each wing. Males have broad feathery antennae.

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Did You Know?

It is closely related to the Madagascan comet moth but has shorter tails and a wider African distribution.

Powder Post Termite

An Australian drywood termite that infests dry structural timber in buildings across tropical and subtropical regions. Colonies are small and produce fine frass pellets that are ejected from the wood. The species rarely requires soil contact.

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Did You Know?

Infestations often go unnoticed for years until structural timber is so weakened that it collapses, because workers consume wood from the inside out.