Railroad Worm vs Australian Painted Lady
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Railroad Worm | Australian Painted Lady |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Phrixothrix hirtus | Vanessa kershawi |
| Order | Coleoptera | Lepidoptera |
| Family | Phengodidae | Nymphalidae |
| Size | 30-65 mm (larvae) | 4-5 cm wingspan |
| Habitat | Underground | Underground |
| Diet | Omnivores | Nectar Feeders |
| Regions | South America | Australia, New Zealand |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Railroad Worm
A beetle larva with 11 pairs of green-glowing lateral organs and a red-glowing headlamp — the only land animal that produces two different colors of bioluminescence simultaneously.
Did You Know?
The railroad worm is the only terrestrial animal that glows in two colors at once — green along its sides like railway car windows and red on its head like a locomotive.
Australian Painted Lady
An orange, black, and white butterfly closely related to the cosmopolitan painted lady. It undertakes seasonal migrations across southeastern Australia.
Did You Know?
Millions migrate northward in autumn in one of Australia's most impressive insect movements.