Cantor's Hawk Moth vs Banded Swallowtail

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Cantor's Hawk Moth Banded Swallowtail
Scientific Name Ambulyx cantorii Papilio demolion
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Sphingidae Papilionidae
Size 85-115 mm 80-110 mm wingspan
Habitat Forests Orchards
Diet Fruit Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions India, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia Southeast Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Borneo, Philippines)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Cantor's Hawk Moth

A large leaf-mimicking hawk moth with intricately patterned brown and cream forewings. Named after the zoologist Theodore Edward Cantor, it inhabits forests of South and Southeast Asia.

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Did You Know?

When resting among leaf litter, Ambulyx cantorii is virtually invisible, its wing patterns perfectly mimicking a dried curled leaf.

Banded Swallowtail

A medium-large swallowtail with dark brown-black wings bearing a broad pale greenish-yellow band across both forewings and hindwings. The hindwings have a short, spatula-shaped tail.

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Did You Know?

Males often gather in large numbers at muddy puddles to obtain dissolved minerals, a behavior known as mud-puddling.