Brown House Moth vs Puerto Rican Harlequin Butterfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Brown House Moth Puerto Rican Harlequin Butterfly
Scientific Name Hofmannophila pseudospretella Atlantea tulita
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Oecophoridae Nymphalidae
Size 15-25 mm wingspan 35-45 mm wingspan
Habitat Indoors Forests
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions Cosmopolitan; believed native to Asia Puerto Rico
Conservation Least Concern Endangered

Brown House Moth

A dull bronze-brown moth with darker flecks that is a widespread household pest. Unlike clothes moths, it feeds on a vast range of organic materials.

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Did You Know?

It can complete its life cycle on a diet of owl pellets alone, making old bird nests ideal nurseries.

Puerto Rican Harlequin Butterfly

A small endangered butterfly endemic to Puerto Rico with orange and black checkered wings. It inhabits moist limestone forests in the northern karst region.

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Did You Know?

Fewer than a few hundred individuals are believed to remain in the wild.