Great Helen vs Striped Hawkmoth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Great Helen Striped Hawkmoth
Scientific Name Papilio iswara Hyles livornica
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Papilionidae Sphingidae
Size 120-150 mm wingspan Wingspan 60-80mm
Habitat Rivers & Streams Rivers & Streams
Diet Nectar Feeders Herbivores
Regions Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Borneo, Sumatra, Thailand, Myanmar) Europe, Africa, Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Great Helen

A large, elegant swallowtail with dark velvety black wings bearing a broad white band across the hindwings and blue submarginal spots. The hindwings have distinctive spatulate tails.

💡

Did You Know?

Males are often seen mud-puddling in large groups along forest streams, sometimes alongside dozens of other swallowtail species.

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.

💡

Did You Know?

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