Orange Swift Moth vs Tinkerbell Fairyfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Orange Swift Moth Tinkerbell Fairyfly
Scientific Name Triodia sylvina Tinkerbella nana
Order Lepidoptera Hymenoptera
Family Hepialidae Mymaridae
Size 28–48 mm wingspan 0.25 mm
Habitat Underground Underground
Diet Root Feeders Parasitoids
Regions Europe, Western Asia Central America
Conservation Not Evaluated Data Deficient

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.

💡

Did You Know?

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

Tinkerbell Fairyfly

One of the smallest insects ever described, named after Peter Pans Tinker Bell. Discovered in Costa Rica in 2013. Measures only 0.25 mm in length.

💡

Did You Know?

Named after the fairy Tinkerbell, this wasp is so tiny it can stand on the tip of a human hair — it was described in 2013 from specimens collected using specialized micro-traps.