Winter Ant vs Fan-foot Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Winter Ant Fan-foot Moth
Scientific Name Prenolepis imparis Zanclognatha tarsipennalis
Order Hymenoptera Lepidoptera
Family Formicidae Erebidae
Size 3-4 mm 26-32 mm wingspan
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Nectar Feeders Herbivores
Regions North America Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Winter Ant

A small brown ant unique for being most active during cold months when other ants are dormant. Replete workers store liquid food in distended abdomens for the colony.

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Did You Know?

They hold their nuptial flights in late winter or early spring, sometimes walking over snow to mate.

Fan-foot Moth

A subtle brown moth with fan-shaped palps and delicate wing markings. Found in woodland where dead leaves accumulate. Larvae feed on dead leaves on the woodland floor.

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Did You Know?

The males have distinctive enlarged fan-shaped labial palps that give this moth its common name.