Giant Leopard Moth vs Spring Pygmy Firefly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Giant Leopard Moth Spring Pygmy Firefly
Scientific Name Hypercompe scribonia Pleotomus pallens
Order Lepidoptera Coleoptera
Family Erebidae Lampyridae
Size 57-91 mm wingspan 5-8 mm
Habitat Underground Underground
Diet Nectar Feeders Omnivores
Regions North America Eastern North America
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Giant Leopard Moth

A striking white moth covered in black hollow ring spots with an iridescent blue-black body with orange markings underneath. It plays dead when threatened.

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Did You Know?

When disturbed, it curls up to reveal its bright blue and orange abdomen as a warning display to predators.

Spring Pygmy Firefly

A tiny, rarely seen firefly of the eastern United States with a very short adult life span. Males produce faint, sporadic greenish flashes close to the ground.

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Did You Know?

Females are wingless and larviform, and were once classified as a completely separate species from the males.