Cynthia's Fritillary vs Northern Pitch Twig Moth Sawfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Cynthia's Fritillary Northern Pitch Twig Moth Sawfly
Scientific Name Euphydryas cynthia Xyela alpigena
Order Lepidoptera Hymenoptera
Family Nymphalidae Xyelidae
Size 34-42 mm wingspan 3-5 mm
Habitat Mountains Mountains
Diet Nectar Feeders Pollen Feeders
Regions Alps, Bulgaria Europe, particularly Alpine regions
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Cynthia's Fritillary

A striking black-and-white checkered fritillary with orange markings. Males and females differ dramatically in coloration.

💡

Did You Know?

Males are mostly black and white while females are predominantly orange and black.

Northern Pitch Twig Moth Sawfly

A minute sawfly that is part of the oldest surviving lineage of Hymenoptera. Adults have the distinctive elongated third antennal segment characteristic of xyelids.

💡

Did You Know?

This high-altitude species represents a living lineage that has survived essentially unchanged for over 200 million years.