Acraea Butterfly vs Common Furrow Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Acraea Butterfly Common Furrow Bee
Scientific Name Acraea acerata Halictus rubicundus
Order Lepidoptera Hymenoptera
Family Nymphalidae Halictidae
Size 45-60 mm wingspan 9-11 mm
Habitat Underground Underground
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi) Europe, North America, Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Acraea Butterfly

A medium-sized butterfly with translucent orange wings and dark veins, giving it a delicate, window-like appearance. It is toxic and part of a large mimicry ring in East Africa.

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Did You Know?

It is a significant pest of sweet potato crops in East Africa, with larvae sometimes completely defoliating plants.

Common Furrow Bee

A widespread sweat bee found across the Northern Hemisphere that displays flexible social behavior. In warmer regions they are primitively eusocial; in colder climates they are solitary.

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Did You Know?

They switch between solitary and social lifestyles depending on latitude and climate, making them key to studying social evolution.