Splendid Ghost Moth vs Great Helen

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Splendid Ghost Moth Great Helen
Scientific Name Aenetus ligniveren Papilio iswara
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Hepialidae Papilionidae
Size 120-160 mm wingspan 120-150 mm wingspan
Habitat Forests Rivers & Streams
Diet Gall Makers Nectar Feeders
Regions Australia, Oceania Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Borneo, Sumatra, Thailand, Myanmar)
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.

Great Helen

A large, elegant swallowtail with dark velvety black wings bearing a broad white band across the hindwings and blue submarginal spots. The hindwings have distinctive spatulate tails.

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Did You Know?

Males are often seen mud-puddling in large groups along forest streams, sometimes alongside dozens of other swallowtail species.