Island Marble Butterfly vs Spangle Gall Wasp

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Island Marble Butterfly Spangle Gall Wasp
Scientific Name Euchloe ausonides insulanus Neuroterus quercusbaccarum
Order Lepidoptera Hymenoptera
Family Pieridae Cynipidae
Size 3-4 cm wingspan 1.5–2.5 mm
Habitat Beaches & Coastal Woodlands
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions United States Europe
Conservation Endangered Not Evaluated

Island Marble Butterfly

A small white butterfly with green marbled undersides found only on San Juan Island, Washington. It was presumed extinct for 90 years before rediscovery in 1998.

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Did You Know?

When rediscovered, it was initially mistaken for the common Sara orangetip butterfly.

Spangle Gall Wasp

A tiny gall wasp that produces flat, disc-shaped spangle galls on the undersides of oak leaves. It alternates between two distinct gall forms across generations.

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Did You Know?

A single oak leaf may carry over a hundred spangle galls, yet the tree suffers minimal harm.