Scarce Copper vs Pale Brown Hawk Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute	Scarce Copper	Pale Brown Hawk Moth
Scientific Name	Lycaena virgaureae	Theretra nessus
Order	Lepidoptera	Lepidoptera
Family	Lycaenidae	Sphingidae
Size	30-38 mm wingspan	55-75 mm
Habitat	Mountains	Orchards
Diet	Omnivores	Nectar Feeders
Regions	Europe, temperate Asia	South Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia
Conservation	Least Concern	Least Concern

Scarce Copper

A brilliant fiery-orange butterfly with black-spotted forewings, the male being one of the most intensely coloured European butterflies. Females are more subdued with brown-spotted orange wings.

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Did You Know?

Males are so brilliantly orange they can be spotted from over 50 metres away in sunlit meadows.

Pale Brown Hawk Moth

A sleek hawk moth with uniform brown coloring and darker lateral stripes along the body. It is widespread across tropical Asia and Australasia.

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Did You Know?

Theretra nessus caterpillars undergo dramatic color changes between instars, shifting from green to brown as they mature.