Mnestra's Ringlet vs Chinese Windmill Butterfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Mnestra's Ringlet Chinese Windmill Butterfly
Scientific Name Erebia mnestra Byasa alcinous
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Nymphalidae Papilionidae
Size 32-38 mm wingspan Wingspan 75-95 mm
Habitat Grasslands Forests
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Alps China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Mnestra's Ringlet

A dark alpine ringlet with bright orange patches on its forewings. It inhabits steep, rocky grasslands at high elevations.

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Did You Know?

It has a two-year life cycle, with larvae overwintering twice before pupating.

Chinese Windmill Butterfly

A dark swallowtail with red-spotted hindwings that rotates its wings in a slow windmill-like pattern during flight. It is widespread in East Asian lowland forests.

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Did You Know?

Its distinctive slow, spinning flight style gives it the common name windmill butterfly.