Processionary Caterpillar Moth vs Bordered White

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Processionary Caterpillar Moth Bordered White
Scientific Name Ochrogaster lunifer Bupalus piniaria
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Notodontidae Geometridae
Size 35-45 mm wingspan 32-40 mm wingspan
Habitat Woodlands Forests
Diet Herbivores Omnivores
Regions Australia, Oceania Europe, temperate Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Processionary Caterpillar Moth

A moth whose caterpillars are famous for travelling in long, nose-to-tail processions through the Australian bush. The larvae are covered in irritating hairs that can cause severe allergic reactions in humans.

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Did You Know?

Processions of caterpillars can stretch for metres and contain hundreds of individuals following a silk trail left by the leader.

Bordered White

A sexually dimorphic moth where males are white with brown borders and females are orange-brown. It is one of the most important defoliators of pine forests in Europe.

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Did You Know?

Major outbreaks can defoliate thousands of hectares of pine forest in a single season.