Jewel Scarab vs Splendid Ghost Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Jewel Scarab Splendid Ghost Moth
Scientific Name Chrysina resplendens Aenetus ligniveren
Order Coleoptera Lepidoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Hepialidae
Size 25-35 mm 120-160 mm wingspan
Habitat Forests Forests
Diet Wood Feeders Gall Makers
Regions Costa Rica, Panama Australia, Oceania
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Jewel Scarab

A beetle that appears to be made of polished gold, found in cloud forests of Central America. Its reflective shell is composed of chiral nanostructures.

💡

Did You Know?

Its shell reflects circularly polarized light, a property almost unique in the animal kingdom.

Splendid Ghost Moth

A large, primitive moth with bright green and white patterned wings. Its larvae bore into tree trunks and live inside galleries covered with silk and frass, making them among the longest-lived Australian caterpillars.

💡

Did You Know?

Ghost moth larvae can live inside a tree trunk for up to five years, feeding on the living wood before pupating.