Rusty Sedge vs Geranium Bronze

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Rusty Sedge Geranium Bronze
Scientific Name Hydropsyche saxonica Cacyreus marshalli
Order Trichoptera Lepidoptera
Family Hydropsychidae Lycaenidae
Size 10-13 mm 18-23 mm wingspan
Habitat Rivers & Streams Underground
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Europe Native to South Africa; invasive in Mediterranean Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Rusty Sedge

A net-spinning caddisfly of clean upland European streams sensitive to organic pollution. Larvae construct fine-meshed capture nets between stones.

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Did You Know?

Its presence is used as a biological indicator of excellent water quality in European river assessments.

Geranium Bronze

A small dull brown butterfly with a distinctive white fringe and thin tail that has become a major pest of cultivated geraniums in Europe. Its larvae bore into geranium buds and stems.

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Did You Know?

Since its accidental introduction to Majorca in 1990, it has spread across most of southern Europe.