Freyer's Purple Emperor vs North American Pygmy Mole Cricket
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Freyer's Purple Emperor | North American Pygmy Mole Cricket |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Apatura metis | Neotridactylus apicialis |
| Order | Lepidoptera | Orthoptera |
| Family | Nymphalidae | Tridactylidae |
| Size | 60-70 mm wingspan | 5-7 mm |
| Habitat | Rivers & Streams | Rivers & Streams |
| Diet | Dung Feeders | Herbivores |
| Regions | Southeastern Europe, Central Asia, China | Eastern United States |
| Conservation | Least Concern (globally); rare and declining in Eu | Least Concern |
Freyer's Purple Emperor
A large, powerful butterfly closely related to the purple emperor but restricted to river valleys. Males display a brilliant purple-blue iridescence on the upper wing surface.
Did You Know?
Males patrol narrow sections of riverbank at high speed, chasing away all other large insects.
North American Pygmy Mole Cricket
A minute mole cricket found on sandy shores of rivers and ponds in North America. It burrows just beneath the wet sand surface.
Did You Know?
Its hind tibiae bear paddle-like swimming plates that allow it to skim across the surface of water when flooded out of its burrow.