Red Velvet Ant vs Blackburn's Sphinx Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute	Red Velvet Ant	Blackburn's Sphinx Moth
Scientific Name	Dasymutilla magnifica	Manduca blackburni
Order	Hymenoptera	Lepidoptera
Family	Mutillidae	Sphingidae
Size	12-20 mm	100-120 mm wingspan
Habitat	Deserts & Drylands	Heathland
Diet	Nectar Feeders	Nectar Feeders
Regions	Southwestern United States, Mexico	Oceania (Hawaii)
Conservation	Least Concern	Endangered

Red Velvet Ant

A large, brilliantly red-haired velvet ant found in the arid regions of the American Southwest. Females are wingless and run rapidly across open ground.

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Did You Know?

Its exoskeleton is so tough that entomological pins often bend when researchers attempt to mount specimens.

Blackburn's Sphinx Moth

The largest native insect in Hawaii, this sphinx moth has a wingspan up to 120 mm. It was once widespread across the islands but is now extremely rare due to habitat loss and invasive species. Its larvae originally fed on native aiea trees but now also use introduced tobacco.

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Did You Know?

This moth has adapted to feed on introduced tobacco plants, a relative of its native host, which may have helped prevent its extinction.