Saunders' Case Moth vs Snowberry Clearwing

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute	Saunders' Case Moth	Snowberry Clearwing
Scientific Name	Metura saundersi	Hemaris diffinis
Order	Lepidoptera	Lepidoptera
Family	Psychidae	Sphingidae
Size	Case up to 8 cm long; male moth 1.5-2 cm wingspan	32-50 mm wingspan
Habitat	Heathland	Underground
Diet	Herbivores	Nectar Feeders
Regions	Australia	North America
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.

Snowberry Clearwing

A bumblebee mimic with largely transparent wings bordered in dark brown, a fuzzy olive thorax, and black and yellow banding on the abdomen. It feeds while hovering at flowers.

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Did You Know?

This moth is born with scales on its wings but they fall off during the first flight, leaving the characteristic clear windows.