Caenis Glider vs Guedin's Hawk Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Caenis Glider Guedin's Hawk Moth
Scientific Name Cymothoe caenis Macroglossum gyrans
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Nymphalidae Sphingidae
Size 50-65 mm wingspan 35-45 mm
Habitat Forests Heathland
Diet Fruit Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions West Africa (Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Guinea) India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Caenis Glider

A widespread West African forest butterfly with orange-tawny males and brownish females with white markings. It is commonly found along forest paths and in clearings. The flight is a characteristic slow glide.

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Did You Know?

This is one of the most commonly encountered Cymothoe species and is often the first glider butterfly new visitors to West African forests observe.

Guedin's Hawk Moth

A small day-flying hawk moth with olive-brown forewings and orange-yellow hindwings. It hovers at flowers like a hummingbird and is widespread across tropical Asia.

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Did You Know?

Macroglossum gyrans can beat its wings over 70 times per second while hovering, producing the characteristic humming sound that gives its genus its name.