Silk Moth vs Harvester Butterfly
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Silk Moth | Harvester Butterfly |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Bombyx mori | Feniseca tarquinius |
| Order | Lepidoptera | Lepidoptera |
| Family | Bombycidae | Lycaenidae |
| Size | 40-50 mm wingspan | 28-33 mm wingspan |
| Habitat | Forests | Rivers & Streams |
| Diet | Herbivores | Sap Feeders |
| Regions | Asia, worldwide (domesticated) | Eastern North America |
| Conservation | Domesticated | Least Concern |
Silk Moth
The fully domesticated moth used in sericulture for over 5,000 years. Completely dependent on humans — adults cannot fly and larvae depend on hand-feeding mulberry leaves.
Did You Know?
The silk moth is so domesticated after 5,000 years of selective breeding that adults can no longer fly and caterpillars will starve rather than eat anything but mulberry leaves.
Harvester Butterfly
The only carnivorous butterfly in North America, whose caterpillar feeds on woolly aphids rather than plants. Adults are small and orange-brown with dark spotting.
Did You Know?
The caterpillar camouflages itself with the waxy white filaments of its aphid prey while feeding.