Dark Arches Moth vs Great Helen

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Dark Arches Moth Great Helen
Scientific Name Apamea monoglypha Papilio iswara
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Noctuidae Papilionidae
Size 46-56 mm wingspan 120-150 mm wingspan
Habitat Farmland Rivers & Streams
Diet Root Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe, Western Asia Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Borneo, Sumatra, Thailand, Myanmar)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Dark Arches Moth

A large, dark brown moth with complex darker markings and pale stigmata. It is one of the largest and most frequently trapped noctuids in Europe.

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Did You Know?

Larvae have been recorded feeding on other moth caterpillars when food is scarce.

Great Helen

A large, elegant swallowtail with dark velvety black wings bearing a broad white band across the hindwings and blue submarginal spots. The hindwings have distinctive spatulate tails.

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Did You Know?

Males are often seen mud-puddling in large groups along forest streams, sometimes alongside dozens of other swallowtail species.