Sunburst Diving Beetle vs Chinese Oak Silk Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Sunburst Diving Beetle Chinese Oak Silk Moth
Scientific Name Thermonectus marmoratus Antheraea pernyi
Order Coleoptera Lepidoptera
Family Dytiscidae Saturniidae
Size 12-15 mm 110-150 mm wingspan
Habitat Ponds & Lakes Farmland
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Southwestern North America, Mexico China, introduced to parts of Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Sunburst Diving Beetle

A striking yellow-and-black spotted diving beetle from the American Southwest and Mexico. Its larvae have been discovered to possess bifocal lenses in their eyes.

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Did You Know?

Its larvae are the first animals discovered to have true bifocal eyes, with two focal lengths in a single lens.

Chinese Oak Silk Moth

A large tawny-brown silk moth with prominent translucent eyespots on each wing. It has been cultivated for thousands of years to produce tussah silk.

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Did You Know?

It is the second most important silk-producing insect after the domestic silkworm, producing a durable golden-brown silk.