Saunders' Case Moth vs Small Magpie Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Saunders' Case Moth Small Magpie Moth
Scientific Name Metura saundersi Anania hortulata
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Psychidae Crambidae
Size Case up to 8 cm long; male moth 1.5-2 cm wingspan 26-30 mm wingspan
Habitat Heathland Underground
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions Australia Europe, Western Asia
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.

Small Magpie Moth

A pretty white moth with black spots and a yellow head. Despite its name, it is a crambid rather than a geometrid like the true Magpie Moth.

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Did You Know?

The caterpillar lives inside a rolled leaf shelter that it spins shut with silk.