Sugarcane Borer vs Brown Argus

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Sugarcane Borer Brown Argus
Scientific Name Diatraea saccharalis Aricia agestis
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Crambidae Lycaenidae
Size 20-28 mm wingspan 25-31 mm wingspan
Habitat Farmland Beaches & Coastal
Diet Omnivores Nectar Feeders
Regions Americas Europe, western Asia, North Africa
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Sugarcane Borer

A straw-colored moth whose larvae bore into sugarcane stalks, causing yield losses and allowing disease organisms to enter. It is the most important sugarcane pest in the Western Hemisphere.

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Did You Know?

The parasitoid fly Cotesia flavipes was introduced from Asia to control this borer and has been remarkably successful in Brazil.

Brown Argus

A small chocolate-brown butterfly with a row of bright orange crescent-shaped spots around the wing margins. Despite its brown color, it belongs to the blue butterfly subfamily.

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Did You Know?

It has expanded its range northward in Britain in recent decades, likely in response to climate warming.