Small Fan-footed Wave vs Scotch Argus

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Small Fan-footed Wave Scotch Argus
Scientific Name Idaea biselata Erebia aethiops
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Geometridae Nymphalidae
Size 20-24 mm wingspan 40-48 mm wingspan
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Herbivores Omnivores
Regions Europe Europe, temperate Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Small Fan-footed Wave

A small, delicate moth with pale buff wings and fine dark cross-lines. Common in deciduous woodland. Larvae feed on dead leaves on the woodland floor.

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Did You Know?

Named for the male's fan-shaped front legs that are displayed during courtship.

Scotch Argus

A dark brown butterfly with russet-orange bands containing eyespots, found in northern grasslands and light woodland. It flies in a bouncing manner close to the ground.

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Did You Know?

In Britain, it is confined to Scotland and a single colony in the Lake District surviving since the last ice age.