Light Emerald vs Pine False Webworm

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Light Emerald Pine False Webworm
Scientific Name Campaea margaritaria Acantholyda erythrocephala
Order Lepidoptera Hymenoptera
Family Geometridae Pamphiliidae
Size 40-52 mm wingspan 10-15 mm (adult)
Habitat Underground Farmland
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Europe, temperate Asia Europe, North America
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Light Emerald

A delicate pale green moth with fine white cross-lines that fades to white as it ages. It is one of the most commonly encountered emerald moths at light traps.

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Did You Know?

Its green pigment is chemically unstable and bleaches completely in museum specimens within months.

Pine False Webworm

An invasive European sawfly that defoliates pines in North America. Unlike typical sawflies, larvae are solitary and spin silk tubes on branches.

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Did You Know?

Larvae feed inside silken tubes spun among the needles, unlike the gregarious feeding of most pine sawflies.