Arctic Ringlet vs Large Garden Bumble Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Arctic Ringlet Large Garden Bumble Bee
Scientific Name Erebia disa Bombus ruderatus
Order Lepidoptera Hymenoptera
Family Nymphalidae Apidae
Size 34-42 mm wingspan 14-24 mm
Habitat Tundra & Arctic Farmland
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Scandinavia, Siberia, Northern North America Europe, New Zealand, South America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Arctic Ringlet

A dark brown ringlet butterfly of arctic and alpine bogs. It flies low over sedge tussocks in a slow, bobbing flight pattern.

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Did You Know?

It has a two-year life cycle in the Arctic, with larvae overwintering twice.

Large Garden Bumble Bee

A long-tongued bumble bee introduced to New Zealand in the early 1900s to pollinate red clover. They have one of the longest tongues of any bumble bee species.

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Did You Know?

They were intentionally shipped from England to New Zealand because they were the only bees with tongues long enough to pollinate red clover.