Wallace's Longwing vs Henshaw's Brown Silk Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Wallace's Longwing Henshaw's Brown Silk Moth
Scientific Name Heliconius wallacei Caligula japonica
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Nymphalidae Saturniidae
Size 60-72 mm wingspan 100-130 mm
Habitat Forests Mountains
Diet Nectar Feeders Omnivores
Regions South America (Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador) Japan, Korea, eastern China
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Wallace's Longwing

A relatively rare Heliconius species with dark wings marked by a distinctive yellow band on the forewing and red patches at the base of the hindwing. Named after the naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace. It is primarily found in western Amazonian forests.

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Did You Know?

Named after Alfred Russel Wallace, who independently conceived the theory of evolution by natural selection while studying insects in South America and Southeast Asia.

Henshaw's Brown Silk Moth

A large Japanese silk moth with rich brown wings featuring distinctive zigzag postmedial lines and clear ocelli. It is one of the most impressive saturniids native to Japan.

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Did You Know?

In Japan, this species is called 'kusu-san' and is considered one of the most beautiful native moths, frequently featured in natural history publications.