Feather-Legged Assassin Bug vs Japanese Giant Silkmoth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Feather-Legged Assassin Bug Japanese Giant Silkmoth
Scientific Name Ptilocnemus lemur Saturnia japonica
Order Hemiptera Lepidoptera
Family Reduviidae Saturniidae
Size 10-14 mm 85-120 mm wingspan
Habitat Heathland Mountains
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Australia Japan
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Feather-Legged Assassin Bug

An Australian assassin bug with bizarre feathery hind legs used to lure ant prey. It waves its feathered legs near ant trails to attract victims.

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Did You Know?

It dangles its feathery hind legs like fishing lures to attract ants, which it then seizes and devours.

Japanese Giant Silkmoth

A large reddish-brown moth with prominent eyespots on all four wings. It is endemic to Japan and closely related to the European Emperor Moth.

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Did You Know?

It is considered a harbinger of spring in rural Japan, where it is called 'kusu-san'.