Homerus Swallowtail vs Blackburn's Sphinx Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute	Homerus Swallowtail	Blackburn's Sphinx Moth
Scientific Name	Papilio homerus	Manduca blackburni
Order	Lepidoptera	Lepidoptera
Family	Papilionidae	Sphingidae
Size	130-150 mm wingspan	100-120 mm wingspan
Habitat	Mountains	Heathland
Diet	Omnivores	Nectar Feeders
Regions	Jamaica (Blue Mountains and John Crow Mountains only)	Oceania (Hawaii)
Conservation	Endangered	Endangered

Homerus Swallowtail

The largest butterfly in the Americas, with a wingspan reaching 150 mm and bold black and yellow patterning. It is endemic to Jamaica and restricted to two mountain ranges.

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Did You Know?

Fewer than an estimated 500 adults exist in the wild, confined to shrinking patches of Jamaican mountain forest.

Blackburn's Sphinx Moth

The largest native insect in Hawaii, this sphinx moth has a wingspan up to 120 mm. It was once widespread across the islands but is now extremely rare due to habitat loss and invasive species. Its larvae originally fed on native aiea trees but now also use introduced tobacco.

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Did You Know?

This moth has adapted to feed on introduced tobacco plants, a relative of its native host, which may have helped prevent its extinction.