Brimstone vs Cellophane Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Brimstone Cellophane Bee
Scientific Name Gonepteryx rhamni Colletes thoracicus
Order Lepidoptera Hymenoptera
Family Pieridae Colletidae
Size 52-60 mm wingspan 10-12 mm
Habitat Heathland Deserts & Drylands
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe, Asia, North Africa Eastern North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Brimstone

Males are vivid sulphur-yellow; females are pale greenish-white. Leaf-shaped wings provide excellent camouflage at rest.

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Did You Know?

The word butterfly may derive from the butter-yellow colour of the Brimstone, one of the earliest to fly.

Cellophane Bee

A spring-flying plasterer bee native to eastern North America with dense reddish-brown thoracic hair. It lines its brood cells with a secreted polyester-like film.

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Did You Know?

The transparent polyester lining it secretes is waterproof, fungus-resistant, and chemically similar to commercial plastic wrap.