African Commodore Butterfly vs Copper-tailed Cuckoo Wasp

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute African Commodore Butterfly Copper-tailed Cuckoo Wasp
Scientific Name Precis pelarga Chrysis succincta
Order Lepidoptera Hymenoptera
Family Nymphalidae Chrysididae
Size 45-55 mm wingspan 5-9 mm
Habitat Grasslands Woodlands
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Southern Africa, East Africa Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

African Commodore Butterfly

A medium-sized butterfly with warm orange-brown wings and subtle eyespots near the wing margins. It is common in open bushveld and grasslands.

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Did You Know?

Dry-season and wet-season forms look so different they were originally described as separate species.

Copper-tailed Cuckoo Wasp

A medium-sized cuckoo wasp with a metallic green forebody and a warm coppery-gold abdomen. It parasitizes the nests of cavity-nesting solitary bees.

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Did You Know?

Its heavy, pitted exoskeleton acts like armor plating, protecting it from the stings of host wasps defending their nests.