Great Mormon vs Rice Stem Borer

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Great Mormon Rice Stem Borer
Scientific Name Papilio memnon Scirpophaga incertulas
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Papilionidae Crambidae
Size Wingspan 120-150mm 20-25 mm wingspan
Habitat Underground Wetlands
Diet Herbivores Nectar Feeders
Regions Asia South Asia (India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

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.

Rice Stem Borer

A small white moth whose larvae bore into rice stems, causing the devastating symptoms known as 'dead heart' in vegetative stage and 'white ear' in reproductive stage. It is one of the most serious pests of rice in Asia.

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Did You Know?

A single larva can destroy an entire rice tiller by boring into the stem and feeding on internal tissue from the inside out.