Sallow Kitten vs Arctic Aphid

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Sallow Kitten Arctic Aphid
Scientific Name Furcula furcula Acyrthosiphon svalbardicum
Order Lepidoptera Hemiptera
Family Notodontidae Aphididae
Size 30-37 mm wingspan 1-3 mm
Habitat Rivers & Streams Tundra & Arctic
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions Europe Svalbard, Arctic Scandinavia, Greenland
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Sallow Kitten

A small, fluffy white moth with delicate grey markings. Named for its resemblance to a small cat. Larvae have tail filaments like the puss moth. Found near willow and sallow.

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Did You Know?

A diminutive relative of the puss moth, whose caterpillars share the same tail-whipping defensive behavior.

Arctic Aphid

A small, pale green aphid that is one of the most northerly herbivorous insects on Earth. It feeds on the sap of Dryas octopetala and other Arctic plants. Populations are entirely parthenogenetic in the High Arctic.

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Did You Know?

This aphid reproduces entirely without mating in the Arctic, producing live young that are clones of the mother.