Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner vs Oberthur's Grizzled Skipper

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner Oberthur's Grizzled Skipper
Scientific Name Cameraria ohridella Pyrgus armoricanus
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Gracillariidae Hesperiidae
Size 7-8 mm wingspan 24-28 mm wingspan
Habitat Underground Grasslands
Diet Herbivores Omnivores
Regions Originally Balkans, now across Europe Southern and central Europe, North Africa
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner

A tiny moth that has devastated horse chestnut trees across Europe since its discovery in 1985. Larvae mine inside leaves causing brown blotches. Spread with extraordinary speed across the continent.

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Did You Know?

Spread across the entire European continent in just 20 years, one of the fastest insect invasions ever recorded.

Oberthur's Grizzled Skipper

A small greyish-brown skipper with white spots, very similar to related species but with distinct underside markings. It prefers warmer, drier habitats than most other grizzled skippers.

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Did You Know?

It can produce two or three generations per year in warm Mediterranean climates but only one in the north.