Burnished Brass vs Downy Leatherwing

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Burnished Brass Downy Leatherwing
Scientific Name Diachrysia chrysitis Podabrus tomentosus
Order Lepidoptera Coleoptera
Family Noctuidae Cantharidae
Size 35-40 mm wingspan 9-12 mm
Habitat Gardens Rivers & Streams
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions Europe, temperate Asia North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Burnished Brass

A moth with brilliant metallic gold and bronze patches on its forewings that gleam like polished metal. It is a common visitor to garden moth traps.

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Did You Know?

The metallic sheen is structural colour produced by microscopic surface ridges, not pigment.

Downy Leatherwing

A North American soldier beetle covered in fine pubescence, found on flowers and foliage in summer. It is an effective predator of aphids and other small insects.

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Did You Know?

Its larvae are active predators in leaf litter and can even survive brief periods of freezing temperatures.