Cinnabar Moth vs Malabar Banded Peacock

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Cinnabar Moth Malabar Banded Peacock
Scientific Name Tyria jacobaeae Papilio buddha
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Erebidae Papilionidae
Size 32-42 mm wingspan 90-120 mm wingspan
Habitat Beaches & Coastal Rivers & Streams
Diet Omnivores Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe, central Asia (introduced to Australasia and Americas) South Asia (India, endemic to the Western Ghats)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Cinnabar Moth

A day-flying moth with charcoal-black wings marked with crimson-red stripes and spots. It has been deliberately introduced worldwide as a biological control agent for ragwort.

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Did You Know?

Its caterpillars store toxic alkaloids from ragwort, making them so distasteful that birds learn to avoid them.

Malabar Banded Peacock

A striking swallowtail endemic to the Western Ghats with broad green bands across dark wings. Males congregate at mud puddles and stream banks in large numbers during the monsoon season.

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Did You Know?

This is the state butterfly of Kerala and is found exclusively in the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot.