Queen Butterfly vs Pellucid Hawk Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Queen Butterfly Pellucid Hawk Moth
Scientific Name Danaus gilippus Cephonodes hylas
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Nymphalidae Sphingidae
Size 67-78 mm wingspan 45-65 mm
Habitat Deserts & Drylands Farmland
Diet Herbivores Nectar Feeders
Regions Southern USA, Central and South America South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Africa, Australia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Queen Butterfly

A close relative of the Monarch butterfly with similar orange coloring but darker. Found across the Americas. Like the Monarch, it sequesters toxic cardenolides from milkweed.

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Did You Know?

A close cousin of the Monarch that is equally toxic but does not undertake the same famous migration.

Pellucid Hawk Moth

A strikingly beautiful day-flying hawk moth with entirely transparent wings and a bright green and yellow body. It hovers at flowers in tropical and subtropical regions of the Old World.

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Did You Know?

Unlike most clearwing moths that lose scales gradually, Cephonodes hylas sheds nearly all its wing scales within seconds of emerging from the pupal case.