Splendid Ghost Moth vs Neotropical Pergid Sawfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Splendid Ghost Moth Neotropical Pergid Sawfly
Scientific Name Aenetus ligniveren Acordulecera dorsalis
Order Lepidoptera Hymenoptera
Family Hepialidae Pergidae
Size 120-160 mm wingspan 5-8 mm
Habitat Forests Forests
Diet Gall Makers Herbivores
Regions Australia, Oceania Central and South America
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.

Neotropical Pergid Sawfly

A small, dark pergid sawfly found across Central and South America. Adults have compact bodies with relatively short antennae.

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Did You Know?

The Neotropical Pergidae have undergone a remarkable radiation in South America, filling ecological niches occupied by tenthredinids in the Northern Hemisphere.