Indian White Termite vs Tenerife Speckled Wood Butterfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Indian White Termite Tenerife Speckled Wood Butterfly
Scientific Name Odontotermes horni Pararge xiphioides
Order Blattodea Lepidoptera
Family Termitidae Nymphalidae
Size 4-8 mm 40-50 mm wingspan
Habitat Forests Forests
Diet Fungus Feeders Omnivores
Regions India, Sri Lanka Canary Islands
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Indian White Termite

A fungus-cultivating termite common in the forests and agricultural areas of the Indian subcontinent. Colonies build subterranean nests with fungus gardens. Workers are pale white and forage beneath covered runways on the soil surface.

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Did You Know?

The Termitomyces mushrooms that fruit from this species' fungus gardens are among the largest edible mushrooms in the world, with caps up to 1 meter wide.

Tenerife Speckled Wood Butterfly

A brown butterfly with orange eyespot patches endemic to the western Canary Islands. It flies in shaded laurel forest clearings.

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Did You Know?

Males defend sun patches on the forest floor, chasing away any intruding butterflies.