Brown-tail Moth vs Great Eggfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Brown-tail Moth Great Eggfly
Scientific Name Euproctis chrysorrhoea Hypolimnas bolina
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Erebidae Nymphalidae
Size 36-42 mm wingspan 70-85 mm wingspan
Habitat Beaches & Coastal Farmland
Diet Fruit Feeders Herbivores
Regions Europe, western Asia (introduced to North America) South and Southeast Asia, Australia, Pacific Islands, Madagascar
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Brown-tail Moth

A white moth with a conspicuous brown tuft of hairs at the tip of its abdomen, used to cover its eggs. The caterpillar's hairs are highly irritating and can cause widespread rashes.

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Did You Know?

Shed caterpillar hairs can become airborne and cause respiratory distress in people kilometres from the colony.

Great Eggfly

A striking tropical butterfly in which males are jet black with large iridescent white-blue spots. Females are variable and often mimic toxic danaid butterflies.

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Did You Know?

Males are fiercely territorial, attacking birds, lizards, and even people who enter their patch.