Black-waved Flannel Moth vs Green Milkweed Leaf Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Black-waved Flannel Moth Green Milkweed Leaf Beetle
Scientific Name Megalopyge crispata Labidomera clivicollis
Order Lepidoptera Coleoptera
Family Megalopygidae Chrysomelidae
Size 25-35 mm wingspan 8-12 mm
Habitat Orchards Grasslands
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions Eastern North America North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Black-waved Flannel Moth

A fluffy white to yellowish moth with wavy dark lines across the forewings. Like its relative the puss moth, its caterpillar is densely hairy and delivers a painful sting.

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Did You Know?

The adult moth's long curly wing scales make it look remarkably like a tiny Persian cat.

Green Milkweed Leaf Beetle

A large, handsome beetle with blue-black elytra marked with orange to cream-colored spots and a blue-black pronotum. It is commonly found on milkweed plants across North America.

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Did You Know?

Like monarch butterflies, this beetle sequesters toxic cardiac glycosides from milkweed, and its bold coloration warns predators of its unpalatability.