Small Apollo vs Rothschild's Silkmoth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Small Apollo Rothschild's Silkmoth
Scientific Name Parnassius phoebus Rothschildia jacobaeae
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Papilionidae Saturniidae
Size 50-60 mm wingspan 100-150 mm wingspan
Habitat Meadows Heathland
Diet Nectar Feeders Herbivores
Regions Central Europe Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Small Apollo

A high-altitude alpine butterfly with translucent white wings bearing small red and black spots. It flies weakly over alpine meadows and scree slopes above the treeline.

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Did You Know?

It only occurs above the treeline in the Alps and is one of Europe's highest-altitude butterflies.

Rothschild's Silkmoth

A large silkmoth with reddish-brown wings featuring bold triangular translucent patches. Each wing also bears a crescent-shaped eyespot.

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Did You Know?

The clear windows in its wings are completely scaleless, which is unusual since moth wings are normally covered in thousands of scales.