Marbled Minor vs Swallowtail Butterfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Marbled Minor Swallowtail Butterfly
Scientific Name Oligia strigilis Papilio machaon
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Noctuidae Papilionidae
Size 24-28 mm wingspan 65-86 mm wingspan
Habitat Underground Underground
Diet Root Feeders Predators
Regions Europe Europe, Asia, North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Marbled Minor

A small, cryptically marked moth that is extremely variable in pattern. Part of a complex of similar-looking species that can only be reliably separated by dissection.

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Did You Know?

Part of a notoriously difficult species complex where three species look almost identical.

Swallowtail Butterfly

Elegant butterfly with yellow wings marked with black veins and blue-red eyespots on hindwings. The tail extensions on hindwings divert predator attacks from the body.

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Did You Know?

Swallowtail caterpillars have a hidden orange forked organ called an osmeterium that they pop out from behind their head when threatened, releasing a foul smell.