Privet Hawk-moth vs Velebit Cave Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Privet Hawk-moth Velebit Cave Beetle
Scientific Name Sphinx ligustri Hadesia vasiceki
Order Lepidoptera Coleoptera
Family Sphingidae Leiodidae
Size 90-120 mm wingspan 3-5 mm
Habitat Woodlands Caves
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Europe, western Asia Bosnia and Herzegovina
Conservation Least Concern Data Deficient

Privet Hawk-moth

Britain's largest resident moth, with a massive body bearing pink and black abdominal stripes. Its horn-tipped caterpillar is bright green with purple and white diagonal stripes.

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Did You Know?

The caterpillar performs a sphinx-like pose when disturbed, which gave the Sphingidae family its name.

Velebit Cave Beetle

A blind, reddish-brown cave beetle from deep caves in the Dinaric Alps. It has a narrow elongated body adapted for moving through tight rock crevices.

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Did You Know?

The genus Hadesia contains some of the most extreme cave-adapted beetles in the world.