Bedstraw Hawk Moth vs Pearly-banded Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Bedstraw Hawk Moth Pearly-banded Bee
Scientific Name Hyles gallii Nomia melanderi
Order Lepidoptera Hymenoptera
Family Sphingidae Halictidae
Size 55-75 mm 8-10 mm
Habitat Heathland Farmland
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe, North America, northern Asia Western North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Bedstraw Hawk Moth

A striking hawk moth with olive-green forewings bearing a buff median band and pink hindwings. It is a migratory species found across the Northern Hemisphere.

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Did You Know?

The bedstraw hawk moth has one of the most extensive ranges of any hawk moth, found from Scandinavia to Japan and across much of North America.

Pearly-banded Bee

A ground-nesting bee with pearly white abdominal bands vital for alfalfa pollination. Large nesting aggregations in alkaline soils can contain millions of individuals.

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Did You Know?

Farmers in the Pacific Northwest actively manage nesting sites to boost alfalfa seed yields.