Clouded Apollo vs Pacific Cuckoo Wasp

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Clouded Apollo Pacific Cuckoo Wasp
Scientific Name Parnassius mnemosyne Chrysis pellucidula
Order Lepidoptera Hymenoptera
Family Papilionidae Chrysididae
Size 52-62 mm wingspan 6-10 mm
Habitat Woodlands Heathland
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia Western North America
Conservation Near Threatened Least Concern

Clouded Apollo

A delicate, semi-translucent white butterfly with dark wing veins and small dark spots. It flies slowly through woodland clearings in late spring.

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Did You Know?

Its translucent wings lack the typical scales found on most butterflies, giving them a ghostly appearance.

Pacific Cuckoo Wasp

A brightly metallic cuckoo wasp with green-blue head and thorax and a coppery red abdomen. It parasitizes solitary mason bees and wasps in the western US.

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Did You Know?

It times its nest infiltration perfectly, sneaking in while the host wasp is away collecting provisions.