Giant Grey Hawk Moth vs Japanese Comma Butterfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Giant Grey Hawk Moth Japanese Comma Butterfly
Scientific Name Agrius cingulata Nymphalis vaualbum
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Sphingidae Nymphalidae
Size 95-130 mm 55-65 mm wingspan
Habitat Beaches & Coastal Mountains
Diet Nectar Feeders Sap Feeders
Regions Americas (from southern United States to Argentina), occasional migrant to Europe and Africa East Asia, Japan/Korea
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Giant Grey Hawk Moth

A massive hawk moth with gray-streaked forewings and a pink and black banded abdomen. It is one of the largest and fastest-flying sphinx moths in the Americas.

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Did You Know?

Agrius cingulata is such a powerful flier that individuals from the Americas occasionally cross the Atlantic Ocean and turn up in western Europe.

Japanese Comma Butterfly

Known as 'erutateha' in Japanese, a large nymphalid butterfly with deeply scalloped wing edges. The undersides provide excellent bark camouflage. Adults overwinter and can be seen flying on warm winter days.

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Did You Know?

This butterfly hibernates through winter as an adult and can sometimes be seen flying on unusually warm days in January and February in Japan.