Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner vs Sallow Kitten

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner Sallow Kitten
Scientific Name Cameraria ohridella Furcula furcula
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Gracillariidae Notodontidae
Size 7-8 mm wingspan 30-37 mm wingspan
Habitat Underground Rivers & Streams
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions Originally Balkans, now across Europe Europe
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.

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Did You Know?

Spread across the entire European continent in just 20 years, one of the fastest insect invasions ever recorded.

Sallow Kitten

A small, fluffy white moth with delicate grey markings. Named for its resemblance to a small cat. Larvae have tail filaments like the puss moth. Found near willow and sallow.

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Did You Know?

A diminutive relative of the puss moth, whose caterpillars share the same tail-whipping defensive behavior.