Northern Clouded Yellow vs Waterlily Borer Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Northern Clouded Yellow Waterlily Borer Moth
Scientific Name Colias hecla Elophila gyralis
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Pieridae Crambidae
Size 38-50 mm wingspan 18-24 mm wingspan
Habitat Tundra & Arctic Ponds & Lakes
Diet Nectar Feeders Herbivores
Regions Arctic Canada, Greenland, Iceland, northern Scandinavia, Siberia Eastern North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Northern Clouded Yellow

A bright orange-yellow butterfly with broad dark borders on the upperwings. The underside is greenish-yellow with a prominent silver discal spot. It is a strong, fast flier over tundra terrain.

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Did You Know?

This butterfly was first described from specimens collected in Greenland by early polar explorers.

Waterlily Borer Moth

A small pale brown moth with wavy dark lines across its wings. Its larvae are aquatic, living underwater in cases made from fragments of waterlily leaves.

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Did You Know?

The larvae breathe underwater using modified gills and never surface until they are ready to pupate.