Silver-striped Hawk Moth vs Arctic Woolly Bear Caterpillar Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Silver-striped Hawk Moth Arctic Woolly Bear Caterpillar Moth
Scientific Name Hippotion celerio Gynaephora rossii
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Sphingidae Erebidae
Size 60-80 mm wingspan 28-38 mm wingspan
Habitat Orchards Heathland
Diet Nectar Feeders Herbivores
Regions East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Rwanda) Canadian Arctic, Alaska, northern Siberia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Silver-striped Hawk Moth

A medium-sized hawk moth with olive-brown forewings and bright pink hindwings, featuring silver stripes along the body. It is a powerful migrant found throughout the tropics.

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Did You Know?

Its caterpillars have prominent eyespots that make them look like small snakes to deter predators.

Arctic Woolly Bear Caterpillar Moth

A close relative of the Greenland woolly bear, this moth has pale gray wings and a densely furred body. The caterpillar is covered in long dark hairs and freezes solid each winter. Adults have reduced mouthparts.

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Did You Know?

This moth's caterpillar is parasitized at very high rates by ichneumon wasps, which may extend its already decade-long development even further.