Pellucid Hawk Moth vs Priamus Birdwing

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Pellucid Hawk Moth Priamus Birdwing
Scientific Name Cephonodes hylas Ornithoptera priamus
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Sphingidae Papilionidae
Size 45-65 mm 120-190 mm wingspan
Habitat Farmland Underground
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Africa, Australia Oceania (Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, northern Australia)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Pellucid Hawk Moth

A strikingly beautiful day-flying hawk moth with entirely transparent wings and a bright green and yellow body. It hovers at flowers in tropical and subtropical regions of the Old World.

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Did You Know?

Unlike most clearwing moths that lose scales gradually, Cephonodes hylas sheds nearly all its wing scales within seconds of emerging from the pupal case.

Priamus Birdwing

A large and variable birdwing butterfly found across Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and parts of northern Australia. Males display vivid green and black wings. It is the most widespread species in the genus Ornithoptera.

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Did You Know?

This species shows extraordinary colour variation across its range, with over 100 subspecies described from different islands.