Mitchell's Satyr Butterfly vs Orizaba Silk Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Mitchell's Satyr Butterfly Orizaba Silk Moth
Scientific Name Neonympha mitchellii mitchellii Rothschildia orizaba
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Nymphalidae Saturniidae
Size 3.5-4.5 cm wingspan 110-145 mm
Habitat Ponds & Lakes Forests
Diet Herbivores Omnivores
Regions United States Mexico, Central America, southwestern United States
Conservation Endangered Least Concern

Mitchell's Satyr Butterfly

A small brown butterfly with distinctive eyespots found in calcareous fens of the Great Lakes region. Fewer than 20 populations remain.

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Did You Know?

It is so rare that many of its remaining colonies are kept secret to protect them from collectors.

Orizaba Silk Moth

A magnificent New World silk moth with large reddish-brown wings bearing conspicuous triangular clear windows. It was historically reared for its silk in parts of Mexico.

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Did You Know?

Indigenous peoples of Mexico once used the silk from Rothschildia orizaba cocoons to weave a coarse fabric, making it one of the few New World silk moths commercially utilized.