Hawaiian Carnivorous Caterpillar vs Ross's Alpine

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Hawaiian Carnivorous Caterpillar Ross's Alpine
Scientific Name Eupithecia staurophragma Erebia rossii
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Geometridae Nymphalidae
Size 20-25 mm wingspan 34-42 mm wingspan
Habitat Forests Tundra & Arctic
Diet Predators Omnivores
Regions Hawaii Arctic Alaska, northern Canada, Yukon Territory
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.

Ross's Alpine

A dark brown butterfly with small reddish-orange eye spots on the forewings. Its cryptic coloration allows it to blend with dark tundra soils and rocks. It has a slow, bobbing flight pattern close to the ground.

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Did You Know?

Named after the Arctic explorer Sir James Clark Ross, this butterfly takes two full years to develop from egg to adult.