Pine Processionary vs Blood-red Cymothoe
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Pine Processionary | Blood-red Cymothoe |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Thaumetopoea pityocampa | Cymothoe sangaris |
| Order | Lepidoptera | Lepidoptera |
| Family | Notodontidae | Nymphalidae |
| Size | 36-42 mm wingspan | 55-70 mm wingspan |
| Habitat | Forests | Forests |
| Diet | Omnivores | Blood Feeders |
| Regions | Southern Europe, North Africa, Middle East | Central Africa (Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, DRC) |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Pine Processionary
A grey moth whose caterpillars march in long nose-to-tail processions between their silk nests and feeding sites. The larvae's urticating hairs cause severe allergic reactions.
Did You Know?
Jean-Henri Fabre once tricked a procession into following itself in a circle for seven days without stopping.
Blood-red Cymothoe
A strikingly sexually dimorphic butterfly where males are vivid blood-red and females are brown with white bands. It is one of the most recognizable butterflies in Central African forests. Flight is relatively slow and gliding.
Did You Know?
The blood-red coloration of males is so vivid that early European explorers initially mistook them for a different species from the brown females.