Iris Flea Beetle vs Sweetbay Silk Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Iris Flea Beetle Sweetbay Silk Moth
Scientific Name Aphthona nonstriata Callosamia securifera
Order Coleoptera Lepidoptera
Family Chrysomelidae Saturniidae
Size 2-3 mm 80-105 mm
Habitat Wetlands Wetlands
Diet Root Feeders Omnivores
Regions Europe Southeastern United States coastal plain
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Iris Flea Beetle

A small blue-green flea beetle associated with yellow iris in wetland habitats. Larvae feed on iris roots underwater. A specialized member of the wetland beetle community.

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Did You Know?

Larvae can survive submerged among iris roots, extracting oxygen from the waterlogged plant tissue.

Sweetbay Silk Moth

A large silk moth similar to the promethea but associated with sweetbay magnolia in the southeastern United States. Males are dark brown-black and females are reddish-brown.

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Did You Know?

The sweetbay silk moth is so closely tied to wetland habitats that its distribution precisely mirrors that of sweetbay magnolia swamps along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.