Arctic Woolly Bear Caterpillar Moth vs Bedstraw Hawk Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Arctic Woolly Bear Caterpillar Moth Bedstraw Hawk Moth
Scientific Name Gynaephora rossii Hyles gallii
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Erebidae Sphingidae
Size 28-38 mm wingspan 55-75 mm
Habitat Heathland Heathland
Diet Herbivores Nectar Feeders
Regions Canadian Arctic, Alaska, northern Siberia Europe, North America, northern Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

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.

Bedstraw Hawk Moth

A striking hawk moth with olive-green forewings bearing a buff median band and pink hindwings. It is a migratory species found across the Northern Hemisphere.

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Did You Know?

The bedstraw hawk moth has one of the most extensive ranges of any hawk moth, found from Scandinavia to Japan and across much of North America.