Hawaiian Carnivorous Caterpillar vs Anna's Eighty-Eight

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Hawaiian Carnivorous Caterpillar Anna's Eighty-Eight
Scientific Name Eupithecia staurophragma Diaethria anna
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Geometridae Nymphalidae
Size 20-25 mm wingspan 30-40 mm wingspan
Habitat Forests Rivers & Streams
Diet Predators Sap Feeders
Regions Hawaii Central America, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Hawaiian Carnivorous Caterpillar

A remarkable moth whose caterpillars are ambush predators of insects, unique among Lepidoptera. Found only in Hawaiian native forests.

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Did You Know?

These are among the only caterpillars in the world that actively hunt and eat other insects.

Anna's Eighty-Eight

A small neotropical butterfly with bright blue-green upper wings and a striking black-and-white numeral pattern underneath. It is closely related to Cramer's eighty-eight.

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Did You Know?

Despite being named for the number pattern, many individuals actually display patterns closer to '89' than '88.'