Hornet Moth vs Tenerife Speckled Wood Butterfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Hornet Moth Tenerife Speckled Wood Butterfly
Scientific Name Sesia apiformis Pararge xiphioides
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Sesiidae Nymphalidae
Size 33-48 mm wingspan 40-50 mm wingspan
Habitat Rivers & Streams Forests
Diet Wood Feeders Omnivores
Regions Europe, Asia Canary Islands
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Hornet Moth

A clearwing moth that is a near-perfect mimic of the European hornet.

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Did You Know?

It even buzzes and moves its abdomen like a hornet when disturbed.

Tenerife Speckled Wood Butterfly

A brown butterfly with orange eyespot patches endemic to the western Canary Islands. It flies in shaded laurel forest clearings.

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Did You Know?

Males defend sun patches on the forest floor, chasing away any intruding butterflies.