Common Nawab vs Sugarcane Woolly Aphid
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Common Nawab | Sugarcane Woolly Aphid |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Polyura athamas | Ceratovacuna lanigera |
| Order | Lepidoptera | Hemiptera |
| Family | Nymphalidae | Aphididae |
| Size | Wingspan 70-90mm | 1.5-2.5 mm |
| Habitat | Forests | Farmland |
| Diet | Herbivores | Herbivores |
| Regions | Asia | South Asia (India, particularly Maharashtra and Karnataka; also Sri Lanka, Bangladesh) |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Common Nawab
A large butterfly with pale green-white wings edged in black with two prominent hindwing tails. It has a powerful fast flight and is rarely seen feeding on flowers.
Did You Know?
Instead of flowers it feeds on rotting fruit, tree sap, and animal dung using its proboscis to probe wet surfaces.
Sugarcane Woolly Aphid
A small aphid covered in white woolly wax secretions that forms dense colonies on the undersides of sugarcane leaves. Heavy infestations reduce cane juice quality and sugar recovery in mills.
Did You Know?
A major outbreak of this pest devastated the Indian sugarcane crop in 2002-2004 before biological control with parasitoid wasps brought it under control.