Great Mormon vs Water Boatman

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Great Mormon Water Boatman
Scientific Name Papilio memnon Corixa punctata
Order Lepidoptera Hemiptera
Family Papilionidae Corixidae
Size Wingspan 120-150mm 6-10 mm
Habitat Underground Ponds & Lakes
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
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.

Water Boatman

A small, oval aquatic bug with oar-like hind legs fringed with swimming hairs. Unlike most aquatic bugs, water boatmen are primarily herbivores that scrape algae from underwater surfaces.

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Did You Know?

Male water boatmen produce the loudest sound relative to body size of any animal on Earth, singing at 99 decibels by rubbing a ridge on their genitalia against their abdomen.