Tersa Sphinx Moth vs Common Web Spinner

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Tersa Sphinx Moth Common Web Spinner
Scientific Name Xylophanes tersa Embia major
Order Lepidoptera Embioptera
Family Sphingidae Embiidae
Size 60-80 mm 10.0-15.0 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Nectar Feeders Gall Makers
Regions Southern United States, Central America, South America Europe, Africa
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Tersa Sphinx Moth

A sleek hawk moth with narrow, pointed forewings in lavender-gray with darker streaks. It is a fast and agile flier found throughout the Americas.

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Did You Know?

The tersa sphinx caterpillar has a series of large eyespots along its body that create a convincing snake-mimic appearance.

Common Web Spinner

A dark brown web spinner that constructs silk galleries on tree bark and under stones. Males are winged while females are always wingless.

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Did You Know?

Web spinners produce silk from glands in their enlarged front feet, the only insects to spin silk with their tarsi.