Cabbage Tree Emperor Moth vs Orizaba Silk Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Cabbage Tree Emperor Moth Orizaba Silk Moth
Scientific Name Bunaea alcinoe Rothschildia orizaba
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Saturniidae Saturniidae
Size 100-160 mm wingspan 110-145 mm
Habitat Underground Forests
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Sub-Saharan Africa Mexico, Central America, southwestern United States
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Cabbage Tree Emperor Moth

A large emperor moth with reddish-brown wings bearing prominent eyespots. Larvae are gregarious and covered in branching spines.

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Did You Know?

In parts of southern Africa, the large protein-rich caterpillars are harvested and eaten as mopane worm alternatives.

Orizaba Silk Moth

A magnificent New World silk moth with large reddish-brown wings bearing conspicuous triangular clear windows. It was historically reared for its silk in parts of Mexico.

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Did You Know?

Indigenous peoples of Mexico once used the silk from Rothschildia orizaba cocoons to weave a coarse fabric, making it one of the few New World silk moths commercially utilized.