Spotted Stem Borer vs Hercules Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Spotted Stem Borer Hercules Moth
Scientific Name Chilo partellus Coscinocera hercules
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Crambidae Saturniidae
Size 20-28 mm wingspan 270 mm wingspan
Habitat Farmland Forests
Diet Herbivores Omnivores
Regions Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia Oceania
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Spotted Stem Borer

A straw-colored moth whose larvae bore into stems of maize and sorghum in Africa and Asia. It can cause total crop failure in heavily infested fields.

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Did You Know?

The push-pull pest management system, using Desmodium and Napier grass, was developed primarily to combat this borer.

Hercules Moth

Has the largest wing area of any moth — up to 300 square centimeters. Named after Hercules for its great size. Adults live only about two weeks and do not eat.

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Did You Know?

The Hercules moth has the largest wing surface area of any insect on Earth — its wings can cover an area larger than an open human hand.