Narrow-mouth Ground Beetle vs Tersa Sphinx Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Narrow-mouth Ground Beetle Tersa Sphinx Moth
Scientific Name Abax parallelepipedus Xylophanes tersa
Order Coleoptera Lepidoptera
Family Carabidae Sphingidae
Size 18-22 mm 60-80 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Predators Nectar Feeders
Regions Western and Central Europe Southern United States, Central America, South America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Narrow-mouth Ground Beetle

A large, shiny black ground beetle with a distinctive parallel-sided body shape. It is one of the most common large carabids in European woodlands, active at night under logs and stones.

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Did You Know?

Its perfectly rectangular body shape is so precise and regular that it was given the species name 'parallelepipedus,' meaning resembling a geometric parallelepiped.

Tersa Sphinx Moth

A sleek hawk moth with narrow, pointed forewings in lavender-gray with darker streaks. It is a fast and agile flier found throughout the Americas.

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Did You Know?

The tersa sphinx caterpillar has a series of large eyespots along its body that create a convincing snake-mimic appearance.