Saunders' Case Moth vs Marbled Minor

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Saunders' Case Moth Marbled Minor
Scientific Name Metura saundersi Oligia strigilis
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Psychidae Noctuidae
Size Case up to 8 cm long; male moth 1.5-2 cm wingspan 24-28 mm wingspan
Habitat Heathland Underground
Diet Herbivores Root Feeders
Regions Australia Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Saunders' Case Moth

A smaller relative of the large case moth that constructs a tapering case of silk and plant debris. Males are dark, short-lived moths while females remain in their cases.

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Did You Know?

Each case is individually crafted and can take over a year to fully construct.

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.