Buff Arches vs Pond Olive Mayfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Buff Arches Pond Olive Mayfly
Scientific Name Habrosyne pyritoides Cloeon dipterum
Order Lepidoptera Ephemeroptera
Family Drepanidae Baetidae
Size 38-43 mm wingspan 6-9 mm
Habitat Underground Gardens
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Europe, temperate Asia Europe, Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Buff Arches

A moth with intricate grey, white, and buff patterns creating a complex marbled effect on its forewings. It is closely related to the peach blossom and shares its bramble association.

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Did You Know?

Its wing pattern is so complex that no simple description captures it, leading some to call it 'baroque'.

Pond Olive Mayfly

One of the few mayflies that breeds in still water including garden ponds and rain barrels. Unusually for a mayfly, females are ovoviviparous.

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Did You Know?

This is one of the only mayflies that gives birth to live nymphs rather than laying eggs, a unique trait in the order.