Japanese Copper vs Cabbage Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Japanese Copper Cabbage Moth
Scientific Name Lycaena phlaeas daimio Mamestra brassicae
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Lycaenidae Noctuidae
Size 22-30 mm wingspan Wingspan 34-50mm
Habitat Underground Farmland
Diet Nectar Feeders Herbivores
Regions East Asia, Japan Europe, Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Japanese Copper

The Japanese subspecies of the small copper butterfly, known as 'beni-shijimi.' A small but brilliantly colored butterfly with fiery orange-copper wings. One of the most common butterflies in Japan.

💡

Did You Know?

Male small coppers are aggressively territorial and will challenge insects much larger than themselves, including large butterflies and dragonflies.

Cabbage Moth

A mottled grey-brown moth with kidney-shaped and circular stigmata on the forewings. Its caterpillar is a serious pest of brassica crops worldwide.

💡

Did You Know?

A single caterpillar can bore deep into a cabbage head contaminating it with frass and making it unmarketable.