Ross's Alpine vs Ceylon Angel Insect

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Ross's Alpine Ceylon Angel Insect
Scientific Name Erebia rossii Zorotypus ceylonicus
Order Lepidoptera Zoraptera
Family Nymphalidae Zorotypidae
Size 34-42 mm wingspan 2-3 mm
Habitat Tundra & Arctic Forests
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Arctic Alaska, northern Canada, Yukon Territory Asia
Conservation Least Concern Data Deficient

Ross's Alpine

A dark brown butterfly with small reddish-orange eye spots on the forewings. Its cryptic coloration allows it to blend with dark tundra soils and rocks. It has a slow, bobbing flight pattern close to the ground.

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Did You Know?

Named after the Arctic explorer Sir James Clark Ross, this butterfly takes two full years to develop from egg to adult.

Ceylon Angel Insect

An Asian zorapteran discovered in Sri Lanka inhabiting rotting wood in humid forests. Wingless individuals lack eyes and are unpigmented.

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Did You Know?

Blind wingless individuals and eyed winged individuals of the same species look so different they were once thought to be separate species.