Blue-Banded Bee vs Turnip Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Blue-Banded Bee Turnip Moth
Scientific Name Amegilla cingulata Agrotis segetum
Order Hymenoptera Lepidoptera
Family Apidae Noctuidae
Size 10-12 mm 35-45 mm wingspan
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Nectar Feeders Root Feeders
Regions Australia, Southeast Asia, India Europe, Africa, Asia
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Blue-Banded Bee

A striking Australian native bee with iridescent turquoise bands on its abdomen. They are important buzz pollinators of tomatoes and other crops.

💡

Did You Know?

They bang their heads against flowers at 350 times per second to vibrate pollen loose, a technique called buzz pollination.

Turnip Moth

A drab brown moth whose fat cutworm larvae sever the stems and roots of root vegetables and seedlings. It is one of the most widespread cutworm pests in the Old World.

💡

Did You Know?

Larvae can survive extended periods of drought by burrowing deep into the soil and entering a dormant state.