Lesser Banded Hornet vs Luna Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Lesser Banded Hornet Luna Moth
Scientific Name Vespa affinis Actias luna
Order Hymenoptera Lepidoptera
Family Vespidae Saturniidae
Size 22-30 mm 80-115 mm wingspan
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Sap Feeders Omnivores
Regions South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Lesser Banded Hornet

A medium-sized hornet with a dark body and bright orange-yellow abdominal bands. It builds large aerial nests in trees and on buildings throughout tropical Asia.

💡

Did You Know?

Its aerial nests can grow to the size of a basketball and house several thousand workers.

Luna Moth

A stunning lime-green moth with long trailing hindwing tails. Adults live only about one week. The long tails confuse bat echolocation by creating false echoes.

💡

Did You Know?

The luna moths long tail streamers confuse bat sonar — they spin behind the moth creating acoustic illusions that cause bats to miss their target 47% of the time.