Pale Brown Hawk Moth vs High-altitude Hover Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute	Pale Brown Hawk Moth	High-altitude Hover Fly
Scientific Name	Theretra nessus	Platycheirus alpinus
Order	Lepidoptera	Diptera
Family	Sphingidae	Syrphidae
Size	55-75 mm	6-9 mm body length
Habitat	Orchards	Meadows
Diet	Nectar Feeders	Nectar Feeders
Regions	South Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia	Northern Europe, Alps, Arctic
Conservation	Least Concern	Least Concern

Pale Brown Hawk Moth

A sleek hawk moth with uniform brown coloring and darker lateral stripes along the body. It is widespread across tropical Asia and Australasia.

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Theretra nessus caterpillars undergo dramatic color changes between instars, shifting from green to brown as they mature.

A small hover fly with flattened front legs, found in alpine and arctic habitats. It is an important pollinator of mountain wildflowers.

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Its flattened front tarsi are thought to help scrape pollen from flowers.