Sunda Colugo Fly vs African Wild Silk Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Sunda Colugo Fly African Wild Silk Moth
Scientific Name Megischus bicolor Gonometa postica
Order Hymenoptera Lepidoptera
Family Stephanidae Lasiocampidae
Size 20-35 mm excluding ovipositor 50-70 mm wingspan
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Parasitoids Herbivores
Regions Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Indonesia, Borneo, Thailand) East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Sunda Colugo Fly

A parasitoid wasp with a slender body, extremely long ovipositor, and distinctively bicolored black and orange body. It drills into wood to parasitize beetle larvae hidden inside.

💡

Did You Know?

The female's ovipositor can be twice the length of her body and she can detect beetle larvae hidden deep inside wood through vibrations.

African Wild Silk Moth

A medium-sized brown moth whose caterpillars spin tough, golden silk cocoons on Acacia branches. It has been investigated as a source of commercial wild silk in East Africa.

💡

Did You Know?

Its silk is being developed as a sustainable textile, and wild harvesting of cocoons provides income for rural communities in East Africa.