Splendid Ghost Moth vs Guedin's Hawk Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Splendid Ghost Moth Guedin's Hawk Moth
Scientific Name Aenetus ligniveren Macroglossum gyrans
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Hepialidae Sphingidae
Size 120-160 mm wingspan 35-45 mm
Habitat Forests Heathland
Diet Gall Makers Nectar Feeders
Regions Australia, Oceania India, Sri Lanka, Southeast 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.

💡

Did You Know?

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

Guedin's Hawk Moth

A small day-flying hawk moth with olive-brown forewings and orange-yellow hindwings. It hovers at flowers like a hummingbird and is widespread across tropical Asia.

💡

Did You Know?

Macroglossum gyrans can beat its wings over 70 times per second while hovering, producing the characteristic humming sound that gives its genus its name.