Bitter Blue vs Four-spotted Cuckoo Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Bitter Blue Four-spotted Cuckoo Bee
Scientific Name Theclinesthes miskini Nomada leucophthalma
Order Lepidoptera Hymenoptera
Family Lycaenidae Apidae
Size 20-28 mm wingspan 9-12 mm
Habitat Beaches & Coastal Woodlands
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Australia Europe, Western Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Bitter Blue

Small blue and brown butterfly with spotted gray undersides. Commonly found around its host plant in Australian coastal areas.

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Did You Know?

It is tended by several species of ants that protect the caterpillars in exchange for honeydew.

Four-spotted Cuckoo Bee

A wasp-like cuckoo bee with reddish-brown and yellow markings that parasitizes Andrena mining bees. It is one of the earliest flying spring bees in Europe.

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Did You Know?

It closely resembles a small wasp rather than a bee, which helps it avoid being recognized as a threat by its hosts.