Arctic Woolly Bear Caterpillar Moth vs African Sugarcane Borer

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Arctic Woolly Bear Caterpillar Moth African Sugarcane Borer
Scientific Name Gynaephora rossii Eldana saccharina
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Erebidae Pyralidae
Size 28-38 mm wingspan 20-30 mm wingspan
Habitat Heathland Wetlands
Diet Herbivores Omnivores
Regions Canadian Arctic, Alaska, northern Siberia Africa
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Arctic Woolly Bear Caterpillar Moth

A close relative of the Greenland woolly bear, this moth has pale gray wings and a densely furred body. The caterpillar is covered in long dark hairs and freezes solid each winter. Adults have reduced mouthparts.

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Did You Know?

This moth's caterpillar is parasitized at very high rates by ichneumon wasps, which may extend its already decade-long development even further.

African Sugarcane Borer

The most important pest of sugarcane in sub-Saharan Africa. Larvae bore into sugarcane stalks, reducing sugar content and yield.

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Did You Know?

It originally fed on indigenous wetland grasses before switching to cultivated sugarcane.