White Plume Moth vs Common Mime

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute White Plume Moth Common Mime
Scientific Name Pterophorus pentadactyla Papilio clytia
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Pterophoridae Papilionidae
Size 25-30 mm wingspan 80-100 mm wingspan
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Herbivores Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

White Plume Moth

A delicate pure white moth with deeply divided wings that split into feather-like plumes. Often seen resting on walls at night with wings held out like a letter T. Caterpillars feed on hedge bindweed.

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Did You Know?

Its wings are divided into five feather-like plumes on each side, giving it one of the most unusual wing forms of any moth.

Common Mime

A polymorphic swallowtail butterfly that exists in two main forms: one mimicking the toxic Common Crow and the other mimicking the Blue Tiger. Both forms lack the typical swallowtail tails.

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Did You Know?

The two distinct forms are controlled by a single genetic switch, making it one of the best examples of genetic polymorphism in butterflies.