Small Magpie Moth vs Sugarcane Woolly Aphid
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Small Magpie Moth | Sugarcane Woolly Aphid |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anania hortulata | Ceratovacuna lanigera |
| Order | Lepidoptera | Hemiptera |
| Family | Crambidae | Aphididae |
| Size | 26-30 mm wingspan | 1.5-2.5 mm |
| Habitat | Underground | Farmland |
| Diet | Herbivores | Herbivores |
| Regions | Europe, Western Asia | South Asia (India, particularly Maharashtra and Karnataka; also Sri Lanka, Bangladesh) |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Small Magpie Moth
A pretty white moth with black spots and a yellow head. Despite its name, it is a crambid rather than a geometrid like the true Magpie Moth.
Did You Know?
The caterpillar lives inside a rolled leaf shelter that it spins shut with silk.
Sugarcane Woolly Aphid
A small aphid covered in white woolly wax secretions that forms dense colonies on the undersides of sugarcane leaves. Heavy infestations reduce cane juice quality and sugar recovery in mills.
Did You Know?
A major outbreak of this pest devastated the Indian sugarcane crop in 2002-2004 before biological control with parasitoid wasps brought it under control.