Hummingbird Hawk-Moth vs Arctic Fritillary

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Hummingbird Hawk-Moth Arctic Fritillary
Scientific Name Macroglossum stellatarum Boloria chariclea
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Sphingidae Nymphalidae
Size 40-50 mm wingspan 28-36 mm wingspan
Habitat Underground Tundra & Arctic
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe, Asia, Africa Arctic North America, Scandinavia, Siberia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Hummingbird Hawk-Moth

A day-flying moth that hovers at flowers and produces an audible hum, almost perfectly mimicking a hummingbird. Has exceptional visual memory for flower locations.

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Did You Know?

This moth can remember the locations of hundreds of individual flowers and times its visits to when nectar is replenished — a memory feat unmatched by most insects.

Arctic Fritillary

A small, orange-brown fritillary butterfly of arctic and alpine tundra. Its underside has distinctive silvery-white markings.

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Did You Know?

It can complete its life cycle in the brief two-month arctic summer.