Malabar Large White vs Feathered Thorn

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Malabar Large White Feathered Thorn
Scientific Name Pieris brassicae mahometana Colotois pennaria
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Pieridae Geometridae
Size 55-65 mm wingspan 40-50 mm wingspan
Habitat Forests Underground
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions Western Ghats, India Europe, western Asia
Conservation Endangered Least Concern

Malabar Large White

A rare subspecies of the Large White butterfly endemic to the Western Ghats of India. Found only in high-altitude forests. Threatened by habitat degradation.

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Did You Know?

A high-altitude relict population isolated in the Western Ghats since the last ice age.

Feathered Thorn

An autumn-flying moth with warm orange-brown wings and males bearing dramatically feathered antennae. It flies late in the year when few other moths are active.

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Did You Know?

Males use their enormous feathered antennae to detect female pheromones on cold autumn nights.