Common Swift Moth vs Dogwood Borer

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Common Swift Moth Dogwood Borer
Scientific Name Korscheltellus lupulina Synanthedon scitula
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Hepialidae Sesiidae
Size 25-38 mm wingspan 18–23 mm wingspan
Habitat Gardens Orchards
Diet Root Feeders Root Feeders
Regions Europe Eastern North America
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Common Swift Moth

A small brownish moth with faint white streaks that emerges in large numbers in early summer evenings. Its underground larvae are a pest of lawns, crops, and garden plants.

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Did You Know?

Females scatter eggs randomly in flight, letting them fall into grass rather than placing them on specific plants.

Dogwood Borer

A clearwing moth whose larvae bore beneath the bark of dogwood, apple, and other trees. It is a significant pest of apple orchards on dwarfing rootstocks.

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Did You Know?

It preferentially attacks the swollen graft unions on dwarf apple trees, which can kill productive orchard trees.