Broad-Bordered Bee Hawk-Moth vs Teddy Bear Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Broad-Bordered Bee Hawk-Moth Teddy Bear Bee
Scientific Name Hemaris fuciformis Amegilla bombiformis
Order Lepidoptera Hymenoptera
Family Sphingidae Apidae
Size 38-48 mm wingspan 15-20 mm
Habitat Underground Deserts & Drylands
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe, Asia, North Africa Australia, Oceania
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Broad-Bordered Bee Hawk-Moth

A day-flying sphinx moth with transparent wings that mimic a bumblebee. The scales on its wings fall off on its first flight, leaving clear panels that enhance the bee illusion.

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Did You Know?

This moth deliberately sheds its wing scales on its maiden flight to become transparent — one of the only moths that intentionally destroys its own wing coloring.

Teddy Bear Bee

A plump, densely furred native Australian bee that closely resembles a bumblebee. Despite its cuddly appearance, it is a solitary bee that nests in burrows in soft sandstone or clay banks.

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Did You Know?

It uses buzz pollination, vibrating its flight muscles at a specific frequency to shake pollen from flowers that other bees cannot access.