Comet Moth vs Five-bar Swordtail

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Comet Moth Five-bar Swordtail
Scientific Name Argema mittrei Graphium antiphates
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Saturniidae Papilionidae
Size 200 mm wingspan, 150 mm tail 75-100 mm wingspan, tails up to 25 mm
Habitat Forests Rivers & Streams
Diet Herbivores Nectar Feeders
Regions Africa Southeast Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Philippines)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Comet Moth

One of the worlds largest silk moths, with brilliant yellow wings and tail spans reaching 20 cm. Endemic to Madagascar. Males have longer tails than females.

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Did You Know?

The comet moths spectacular 15-20 cm tail is the longest of any moth — and like the luna moth, it likely evolved to confuse bat echolocation.

Five-bar Swordtail

An elegant swallowtail with pale creamy-white wings crossed by bold black zebra-like stripes and exceptionally long, narrow sword-shaped tails. It is a swift, darting flier.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the fastest-flying butterflies in Southeast Asia and is notoriously difficult to catch due to its erratic zigzag flight pattern.