Orange Swift Moth vs Gypsy Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Orange Swift Moth Gypsy Moth
Scientific Name Triodia sylvina Lymantria dispar
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Hepialidae Erebidae
Size 28–48 mm wingspan 37-62 mm wingspan
Habitat Underground Woodlands
Diet Root Feeders Herbivores
Regions Europe, Western Asia Europe, Asia, North America
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Orange Swift Moth

A ghost moth whose larvae bore into the roots of various trees and herbaceous plants. Males have bright orange forewings with pale markings.

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Did You Know?

Males perform a slow pendulum-like hovering display at dusk to attract females with their scent glands.

Gypsy Moth

A sexually dimorphic moth where males are brown and can fly, while females are white with dark markings and are flightless. Caterpillars are voracious defoliators.

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Did You Know?

A single caterpillar can eat up to one square meter of leaves during its development, and outbreaks can strip entire forests bare.