Giant Peacock Moth vs Xypete Euphaedra

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Giant Peacock Moth Xypete Euphaedra
Scientific Name Saturnia pyri Euphaedra xypete
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Saturniidae Nymphalidae
Size 120-160 mm 50-65 mm wingspan
Habitat Orchards Forests
Diet Fruit Feeders Sap Feeders
Regions Southern Europe, North Africa, Middle East West Africa (Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Liberia)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Giant Peacock Moth

Europe's largest moth, with a wingspan up to 16 cm and prominent eyespots on all four wings. Its brown-gray wings are bordered with white and feature a distinctive dark comma-shaped mark.

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Did You Know?

Jean-Henri Fabre used the giant peacock moth in his famous pheromone experiments in the 1870s, demonstrating that male moths could locate females from great distances by scent alone.

Xypete Euphaedra

A West African forest butterfly with striking green forewings and orange hindwings. The underside is paler with subtle silvery markings. It is typically found in forest understory along paths and streams.

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Did You Know?

Like many Euphaedra, this species is rarely seen nectaring at flowers, preferring to feed on rotting fruit on the forest floor.