Buff-tip vs Reunion Day Gecko Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Buff-tip Reunion Day Gecko Beetle
Scientific Name Phalera bucephala Cratopus murinus
Order Lepidoptera Coleoptera
Family Notodontidae Curculionidae
Size 55-68 mm wingspan 8-12 mm
Habitat Underground Farmland
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions Europe, temperate Asia Reunion Island
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Buff-tip

A moth that mimics a broken birch twig with remarkable precision when at rest. Its silvery-grey wings end in a buff-coloured patch resembling exposed wood.

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Did You Know?

Caterpillars feed communally in large groups and can completely defoliate small trees.

Reunion Day Gecko Beetle

A drab brownish weevil endemic to Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean. It is a common herbivore found on both native and cultivated plants.

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Did You Know?

It occasionally damages fruit crops on Reunion, where it is locally considered a pest.