Reed Leopard Moth vs Marbled Minor

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Reed Leopard Moth Marbled Minor
Scientific Name Phragmataecia castaneae Oligia strigilis
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Cossidae Noctuidae
Size 30–50 mm wingspan 24-28 mm wingspan
Habitat Wetlands Underground
Diet Omnivores Root Feeders
Regions Europe, Western Asia, North Africa Europe
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Reed Leopard Moth

A cossid moth whose larvae bore into the stems of common reed and bulrush. It is widespread across European wetlands and reedbeds.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the few cossid moths that bores into herbaceous plants rather than woody trees.

Marbled Minor

A small, cryptically marked moth that is extremely variable in pattern. Part of a complex of similar-looking species that can only be reliably separated by dissection.

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Did You Know?

Part of a notoriously difficult species complex where three species look almost identical.