Gatekeeper vs Striped Hawkmoth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Gatekeeper Striped Hawkmoth
Scientific Name Pyronia tithonus Hyles livornica
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Nymphalidae Sphingidae
Size 34-38 mm wingspan Wingspan 60-80mm
Habitat Woodlands Rivers & Streams
Diet Nectar Feeders Herbivores
Regions Western Europe, Southern Europe Europe, Africa, Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Gatekeeper

A common warm-brown butterfly often seen basking on hedgerow flowers in high summer. It has distinctive twin white pupils within the eye-spots on its forewings.

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Did You Know?

Its alternative name 'Hedge Brown' reflects its strong association with hedgerow habitats.

Striped Hawkmoth

A streamlined hawk-moth with olive-brown forewings crossed by pale veins and pink-banded hindwings. It is a strong migrant covering thousands of kilometers.

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Did You Know?

It migrates northward from Africa each spring and has been recorded flying non-stop across the Sahara Desert.