Brimstone vs Common Carpet Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Brimstone Common Carpet Moth
Scientific Name Gonepteryx rhamni Epirrhoe alternata
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Pieridae Geometridae
Size 52-60 mm wingspan 22-27 mm wingspan
Habitat Heathland Grasslands
Diet Nectar Feeders Omnivores
Regions Europe, Asia, North Africa Europe, Asia, North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Brimstone

Males are vivid sulphur-yellow; females are pale greenish-white. Leaf-shaped wings provide excellent camouflage at rest.

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Did You Know?

The word butterfly may derive from the butter-yellow colour of the Brimstone, one of the earliest to fly.

Common Carpet Moth

A small moth with distinctive dark and light banded forewings creating a chequered pattern. It is double-brooded and flies from May to September.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the most widespread geometrid moths, found across three continents.