Splendid Ghost Moth vs Common Nawab

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Splendid Ghost Moth Common Nawab
Scientific Name Aenetus ligniveren Polyura athamas
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Hepialidae Nymphalidae
Size 120-160 mm wingspan Wingspan 70-90mm
Habitat Forests Forests
Diet Gall Makers Herbivores
Regions Australia, Oceania Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Splendid Ghost Moth

A large, primitive moth with bright green and white patterned wings. Its larvae bore into tree trunks and live inside galleries covered with silk and frass, making them among the longest-lived Australian caterpillars.

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Did You Know?

Ghost moth larvae can live inside a tree trunk for up to five years, feeding on the living wood before pupating.

Common Nawab

A large butterfly with pale green-white wings edged in black with two prominent hindwing tails. It has a powerful fast flight and is rarely seen feeding on flowers.

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Did You Know?

Instead of flowers it feeds on rotting fruit, tree sap, and animal dung using its proboscis to probe wet surfaces.