Hummingbird Hawk-Moth vs Samoan Swallowtail

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute	Hummingbird Hawk-Moth	Samoan Swallowtail
Scientific Name	Macroglossum stellatarum	Papilio godeffroyi
Order	Lepidoptera	Lepidoptera
Family	Sphingidae	Papilionidae
Size	40-50 mm wingspan	70-90 mm wingspan
Habitat	Underground	Forests
Diet	Nectar Feeders	Nectar Feeders
Regions	Europe, Asia, Africa	Oceania (Samoa)
Conservation	Least Concern	Endangered

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.

Samoan Swallowtail

A rare and beautiful swallowtail butterfly endemic to Samoa. It has dark wings with pale markings and is found in native forest. It is considered one of the rarest butterflies in the Pacific Islands.

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Did You Know?

This is one of the most isolated swallowtail butterflies in the world, found only on the small islands of Samoa far from any other Papilio population.