Plum Curculio vs Large Tortoiseshell
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Plum Curculio | Large Tortoiseshell |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Conotrachelus nenuphar | Nymphalis polychloros |
| Order | Coleoptera | Lepidoptera |
| Family | Curculionidae | Nymphalidae |
| Size | 4-6 mm | 54-65 mm wingspan |
| Habitat | Orchards | Orchards |
| Diet | Fruit Feeders | Omnivores |
| Regions | Eastern North America from Canada to the Gulf states | Europe, North Africa, temperate Asia |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern (extinct in Britain) |
Plum Curculio
A dark brown snout beetle covered in warty bumps that is a major pest of stone fruits. Females carve a crescent-shaped scar around each egg they lay in developing fruit.
Did You Know?
The distinctive crescent-shaped scar it cuts around each egg prevents the growing fruit from crushing the larva inside.
Large Tortoiseshell
A large orange butterfly with dark spots resembling a scaled-up small tortoiseshell, once widespread in Britain but now effectively extinct there. It hibernates as an adult in tree hollows.
Did You Know?
Its decline in Britain is thought to be linked to Dutch elm disease destroying its primary food plant.