Grizzled Skipper vs Giant Peacock Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Grizzled Skipper Giant Peacock Moth
Scientific Name Pyrgus malvae Saturnia pyri
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Hesperiidae Saturniidae
Size 23-29 mm wingspan 120-160 mm
Habitat Grasslands Orchards
Diet Omnivores Fruit Feeders
Regions Europe, temperate Asia Southern Europe, North Africa, Middle East
Conservation Least Concern (declining in northern range) Least Concern

Grizzled Skipper

A tiny butterfly with dark brown wings chequered with white spots, resembling a small moth. It basks with wings spread flat in sheltered spots on warm spring days.

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Did You Know?

Its caterpillar lives inside a tiny tent made by folding and silk-binding the edge of a leaf.

Giant Peacock Moth

Europe's largest moth, with a wingspan up to 16 cm and prominent eyespots on all four wings. Its brown-gray wings are bordered with white and feature a distinctive dark comma-shaped mark.

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Did You Know?

Jean-Henri Fabre used the giant peacock moth in his famous pheromone experiments in the 1870s, demonstrating that male moths could locate females from great distances by scent alone.