Great Mormon vs Ortiz's Leaf Insect

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Great Mormon Ortiz's Leaf Insect
Scientific Name Papilio memnon Phyllium ortizi
Order Lepidoptera Phasmatodea
Family Papilionidae Phylliidae
Size Wingspan 120-150mm 5-7 cm
Habitat Underground Mountains
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions Asia Philippines (Mindanao)
Conservation Least Concern Data Deficient

Great Mormon

A large swallowtail butterfly where females come in multiple dramatically different forms mimicking various toxic butterfly species. Males are uniformly dark.

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Did You Know?

Females exist in over 20 different color forms each mimicking a different toxic butterfly species for protection.

Ortiz's Leaf Insect

A recently described leaf insect from Mindanao in the southern Philippines. It is distinguished by the shape of its thoracic plates.

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Did You Know?

It is named after the Filipino researcher who contributed significantly to the taxonomy of Philippine leaf insects.