Columbia Silk Moth vs Glanville Fritillary

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Columbia Silk Moth Glanville Fritillary
Scientific Name Hyalophora columbia Melitaea cinxia
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Saturniidae Nymphalidae
Size 90-130 mm wingspan 33-40 mm wingspan
Habitat Farmland Beaches & Coastal
Diet Omnivores Herbivores
Regions Northern United States and Canada, particularly the Great Lakes region Europe, temperate Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern (rare in Britain)

Columbia Silk Moth

A large reddish-brown silk moth closely related to the cecropia moth but found in northern bog habitats. Its cocoon is spun on larch branches rather than broad-leaved trees.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the few silk moths adapted to boreal wetlands, where its larvae specialize on conifer needles instead of hardwood leaves.

Glanville Fritillary

An orange and black chequered butterfly confined in Britain to the Isle of Wight's coastal cliffs. It was named after Lady Eleanor Glanville, an eccentric 17th-century collector.

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Did You Know?

Lady Glanville's relatives tried to have her will annulled, claiming only a lunatic would collect butterflies.