Teak Defoliator Moth vs Cypress Bark Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Teak Defoliator Moth Cypress Bark Moth
Scientific Name Hyblaea puera Laspeyresia cupressana
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Hyblaeidae Tortricidae
Size 30-40 mm wingspan 12–18 mm wingspan
Habitat Farmland Gardens
Diet Nectar Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions South Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal) Mediterranean Europe, Western Asia
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Teak Defoliator Moth

A medium-sized moth with orange-brown forewings and bright orange hindwings bordered in black. Its caterpillars are the most devastating defoliators of teak plantations across South Asia, stripping trees bare.

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Did You Know?

During outbreak years, entire teak forests turn brown as millions of caterpillars strip every leaf, though the trees typically refoliate.

Cypress Bark Moth

A small moth whose larvae bore beneath the bark of cypress and juniper trees. It can cause significant damage to ornamental cypress plantings.

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Did You Know?

Heavy infestations cause extensive resin bleeding on cypress trunks, creating conspicuous white patches.