Coffee Berry Borer vs Pellucid Hawk Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Coffee Berry Borer Pellucid Hawk Moth
Scientific Name Hypothenemus hampei Cephonodes hylas
Order Coleoptera Lepidoptera
Family Curculionidae Sphingidae
Size 1.5-2 mm 45-65 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Omnivores Nectar Feeders
Regions Central Africa (native), Pantropical (invasive) South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Africa, Australia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Coffee Berry Borer

A tiny, dark brown beetle that bores into coffee berries and is the most damaging pest of coffee worldwide. Females tunnel into the berry and lay eggs inside.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the few animals that can detoxify caffeine, thanks to gut bacteria that break down the alkaloid.

Pellucid Hawk Moth

A strikingly beautiful day-flying hawk moth with entirely transparent wings and a bright green and yellow body. It hovers at flowers in tropical and subtropical regions of the Old World.

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Did You Know?

Unlike most clearwing moths that lose scales gradually, Cephonodes hylas sheds nearly all its wing scales within seconds of emerging from the pupal case.