Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner vs Red Helen
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner | Red Helen |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Cameraria ohridella | Papilio helenus |
| Order | Lepidoptera | Lepidoptera |
| Family | Gracillariidae | Papilionidae |
| Size | 7-8 mm wingspan | 110-140 mm wingspan |
| Habitat | Underground | Forests |
| Diet | Herbivores | Omnivores |
| Regions | Originally Balkans, now across Europe | Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos) |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner
A tiny moth that has devastated horse chestnut trees across Europe since its discovery in 1985. Larvae mine inside leaves causing brown blotches. Spread with extraordinary speed across the continent.
Did You Know?
Spread across the entire European continent in just 20 years, one of the fastest insect invasions ever recorded.
Red Helen
A large, elegant swallowtail butterfly with black wings marked by large creamy-white patches on the hindwings and red crescents along the hindwing margin. It has a slow, sailing flight.
Did You Know?
The caterpillar has an osmeterium, a bright orange forked organ behind the head that releases a foul smell to deter predators.