Blue Metalmark vs Dinosaur Ant
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Blue Metalmark | Dinosaur Ant |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Lasaia sula | Nothomyrmecia macrops |
| Order | Lepidoptera | Hymenoptera |
| Family | Riodinidae | Formicidae |
| Size | 18-22 mm wingspan | 10-15 mm |
| Habitat | Forests | Woodlands |
| Diet | Omnivores | Omnivores |
| Regions | South Texas, Mexico, Central America | Oceania |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Critically Endangered |
Blue Metalmark
A tiny butterfly with vivid metallic blue upper wings that flash brilliantly in sunlight. It perches on rocks and gravel near streams in tropical forests.
Did You Know?
Its brilliant blue iridescence is structural rather than pigmented, produced by nanoscale lattice structures in the wing scales.
Dinosaur Ant
Considered the most primitive living ant, often called a living fossil. Discovered in 1931 and then lost for 46 years until rediscovered in 1977 in South Australia.
Did You Know?
This ant was lost to science for 46 years after its discovery — rediscovered by pure luck when an entomologist pulled over to sleep at the roadside where they happened to live.