White-shouldered House Moth vs Southern Festoon

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute White-shouldered House Moth Southern Festoon
Scientific Name Endrosis sarcitrella Zerynthia polyxena
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Oecophoridae Papilionidae
Size 15-21 mm wingspan 46-56 mm wingspan
Habitat Indoors Heathland
Diet Seed Feeders Herbivores
Regions Cosmopolitan Southern and eastern Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern (protected in many countries)

White-shouldered House Moth

A small greyish moth with a conspicuous white head and thorax that is common in buildings year-round. It is found worldwide as a minor household pest.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the few moths that can breed continuously indoors throughout the year without a dormant phase.

Southern Festoon

A strikingly patterned butterfly with yellow wings marked with black zigzags and red spots. It is one of Europe's earliest spring butterflies and resembles a small, ornate kite.

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Did You Know?

Its larvae sequester toxic aristolochic acids from their food plant, making all life stages unpalatable to birds.