Indian Moon Moth vs Bot Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute	Indian Moon Moth	Bot Fly
Scientific Name	Actias selene	Dermatobia hominis
Order	Lepidoptera	Diptera
Family	Saturniidae	Oestridae
Size	80-120 mm wingspan	12-18 mm
Habitat	Forests	Forests
Diet	Herbivores	Parasites
Regions	Asia	Central America, South America
Conservation	Least Concern	Least Concern

Indian Moon Moth

A large, elegant moth with pale green wings, long hindwing tails, and maroon-bordered eyespots. It is closely related to the North American luna moth.

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Did You Know?

The long hindwing tails continuously spin while the moth flies, creating acoustic interference that jams the echolocation signals of hunting bats.

Bot Fly

Parasitic fly whose larvae develop under the skin of mammals including humans. Female captures a mosquito and glues eggs to it — when the mosquito bites, body heat triggers egg hatching.

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Did You Know?

The human bot fly is so devious it hijacks mosquitoes — it catches them, glues eggs to their bodies, then the eggs hatch when the mosquito lands on warm skin.