Cinnabar Moth vs Neon Skimmer

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Cinnabar Moth Neon Skimmer
Scientific Name Tyria jacobaeae Libellula croceipennis
Order Lepidoptera Odonata
Family Erebidae Libellulidae
Size 32-42 mm wingspan 48-55 mm
Habitat Beaches & Coastal Ponds & Lakes
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Europe, central Asia (introduced to Australasia and Americas) North America
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.

Neon Skimmer

A brilliantly red dragonfly of the American Southwest with amber-tinted wings. Males are an intense fluorescent red that seems to glow in sunlight.

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Did You Know?

Its neon-red coloring is so vivid that it appears to fluoresce in bright sunlight.