Gatekeeper vs Turnip Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Gatekeeper Turnip Moth
Scientific Name Pyronia tithonus Agrotis segetum
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Nymphalidae Noctuidae
Size 34-38 mm wingspan 35-45 mm wingspan
Habitat Woodlands Farmland
Diet Nectar Feeders Root Feeders
Regions Western Europe, Southern Europe Europe, Africa, Asia
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

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.

Turnip Moth

A drab brown moth whose fat cutworm larvae sever the stems and roots of root vegetables and seedlings. It is one of the most widespread cutworm pests in the Old World.

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Did You Know?

Larvae can survive extended periods of drought by burrowing deep into the soil and entering a dormant state.