Tenerife Speckled Wood Butterfly vs Mother of Pearl Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Tenerife Speckled Wood Butterfly Mother of Pearl Moth
Scientific Name Pararge xiphioides Patania ruralis
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Nymphalidae Crambidae
Size 40-50 mm wingspan 30-40 mm wingspan
Habitat Forests Hedgerows
Diet Omnivores Herbivores
Regions Canary Islands Europe, temperate Asia, introduced to North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Tenerife Speckled Wood Butterfly

A brown butterfly with orange eyespot patches endemic to the western Canary Islands. It flies in shaded laurel forest clearings.

💡

Did You Know?

Males defend sun patches on the forest floor, chasing away any intruding butterflies.

Mother of Pearl Moth

A large crambid moth with translucent pearlescent wings bearing subtle brown markings. It is one of the larger and more attractive European grass moths.

💡

Did You Know?

Its wings have an opalescent sheen that gives the moth its poetic common name.