Rothschild's Silkmoth vs Karner Blue
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Rothschild's Silkmoth | Karner Blue |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Rothschildia jacobaeae | Plebejus samuelis |
| Order | Lepidoptera | Lepidoptera |
| Family | Saturniidae | Lycaenidae |
| Size | 100-150 mm wingspan | 22-28 mm wingspan |
| Habitat | Heathland | Deserts & Drylands |
| Diet | Herbivores | Omnivores |
| Regions | Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay | Great Lakes and northeastern United States |
| Conservation | Not Evaluated | Endangered |
Rothschild's Silkmoth
A large silkmoth with reddish-brown wings featuring bold triangular translucent patches. Each wing also bears a crescent-shaped eyespot.
Did You Know?
The clear windows in its wings are completely scaleless, which is unusual since moth wings are normally covered in thousands of scales.
Karner Blue
A tiny bright blue butterfly with orange crescents on the hindwing underside that depends entirely on wild lupine. It is a federally endangered species in the United States.
Did You Know?
It was first described by novelist Vladimir Nabokov, who was also a serious lepidopterist at Harvard's Museum of Comparative Zoology.