Coconut Ant vs Tulip-tree Silk Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Coconut Ant Tulip-tree Silk Moth
Scientific Name Tapinoma melanocephalum Callosamia angulifera
Order Hymenoptera Lepidoptera
Family Formicidae Saturniidae
Size 1.3-2 mm 80-110 mm
Habitat Indoors Forests
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Pantropical, Global in heated buildings Eastern United States
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Coconut Ant

A tiny bicolored ant with a dark head and pale translucent body, also called the ghost ant. It is a major household pest in tropical regions worldwide.

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Did You Know?

Their translucent body makes their abdomen change color depending on what food they have recently eaten.

Tulip-tree Silk Moth

A large silk moth similar to the promethea but with more angular wing shapes and richer coloring. It is closely associated with tulip tree forests of the eastern United States.

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Did You Know?

The tulip-tree silk moth spins a distinctive leaf-wrapped cocoon that hangs from a branch by a silk peduncle, swaying in the wind all winter.