Sycamore Moth vs Arctic Woolly Bear Caterpillar Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Sycamore Moth Arctic Woolly Bear Caterpillar Moth
Scientific Name Acronicta aceris Gynaephora rossii
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Noctuidae Erebidae
Size Wingspan 35-45mm 28-38 mm wingspan
Habitat Underground Heathland
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions Europe, Asia Canadian Arctic, Alaska, northern Siberia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Sycamore Moth

A plain grey moth whose caterpillar is spectacular with white tufts and bright orange and yellow hair patches.

💡

Did You Know?

The caterpillar is one of the most colorful in Europe with dense white hairs and bright orange-yellow tufts.

Arctic Woolly Bear Caterpillar Moth

A close relative of the Greenland woolly bear, this moth has pale gray wings and a densely furred body. The caterpillar is covered in long dark hairs and freezes solid each winter. Adults have reduced mouthparts.

💡

Did You Know?

This moth's caterpillar is parasitized at very high rates by ichneumon wasps, which may extend its already decade-long development even further.