Silver Y vs Blackburn's Sphinx Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute	Silver Y	Blackburn's Sphinx Moth
Scientific Name	Autographa gamma	Manduca blackburni
Order	Lepidoptera	Lepidoptera
Family	Noctuidae	Sphingidae
Size	35-45 mm wingspan	100-120 mm wingspan
Habitat	Farmland	Heathland
Diet	Nectar Feeders	Nectar Feeders
Regions	Europe, Asia, Africa	Oceania (Hawaii)
Conservation	Least Concern	Endangered

Silver Y

A migratory moth marked with a bright silvery Y or gamma symbol on each forewing. Billions migrate northward across Europe each spring in one of nature's great insect movements.

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Did You Know?

Radar studies revealed that up to 250 million Silver Y moths cross into Britain in a single summer.

Blackburn's Sphinx Moth

The largest native insect in Hawaii, this sphinx moth has a wingspan up to 120 mm. It was once widespread across the islands but is now extremely rare due to habitat loss and invasive species. Its larvae originally fed on native aiea trees but now also use introduced tobacco.

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Did You Know?

This moth has adapted to feed on introduced tobacco plants, a relative of its native host, which may have helped prevent its extinction.