Poplar Kitten Moth vs Southern Oak Bush-Cricket

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Poplar Kitten Moth Southern Oak Bush-Cricket
Scientific Name Furcula bifida Meconema meridionale
Order Lepidoptera Orthoptera
Family Notodontidae Tettigoniidae
Size 34-44 mm wingspan 11-15 mm
Habitat Rivers & Streams Forests
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions Europe Southern and Western Europe (expanding northward)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Poplar Kitten Moth

A small relative of the puss moth with a caterpillar that also has tail whips.

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Did You Know?

Its caterpillar closely resembles a smaller version of the puss moth caterpillar.

Southern Oak Bush-Cricket

A small, wingless relative of the oak bush-cricket that has rapidly spread northward across Europe, likely aided by accidental transport in vehicles. It is fully arboreal and flightless.

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Did You Know?

Being flightless, it likely spread across Europe by hitchhiking on cars and trucks parked under infested trees.