Christmas Island Blue Crab Fly vs Mariana Eight-spot Butterfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Christmas Island Blue Crab Fly Mariana Eight-spot Butterfly
Scientific Name Paramyia nitens Hypolimnas octocula marianensis
Order Diptera Lepidoptera
Family Phoridae Nymphalidae
Size 2-4 mm 5-7 cm wingspan
Habitat Forests Forests
Diet Omnivores Herbivores
Regions Christmas Island United States
Conservation Not Evaluated Endangered

Christmas Island Blue Crab Fly

A tiny fly found on Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean associated with red crab migrations. It lays eggs on injured or dead crabs.

💡

Did You Know?

During the annual red crab migration, these flies congregate in vast swarms along forest trails.

Mariana Eight-spot Butterfly

A butterfly subspecies endemic to the Mariana Islands in the western Pacific. It has suffered from habitat destruction and invasive species.

💡

Did You Know?

The brown tree snake, an invasive predator, has devastated many native species on Guam including this butterfly.