Great Mormon vs Wasp Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Great Mormon Wasp Beetle
Scientific Name Papilio memnon Clytus arietis
Order Lepidoptera Coleoptera
Family Papilionidae Cerambycidae
Size Wingspan 120-150mm 7-14 mm
Habitat Underground Underground
Diet Herbivores Wood Feeders
Regions Asia Europe
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.

Wasp Beetle

A longhorn beetle with yellow and black banding that mimics a common wasp. It even moves in a jerky, wasp-like manner.

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Did You Know?

It is completely harmless but its convincing wasp mimicry deters most predators.