Clouded Yellow vs Bee-fly Hawk Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Clouded Yellow Bee-fly Hawk Moth
Scientific Name Colias croceus Macroglossum bombylans
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Pieridae Sphingidae
Size Wingspan 46-54mm 30-40 mm
Habitat Farmland Forests
Diet Herbivores Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe, Africa, Asia India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, southern China
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Clouded Yellow

A fast-flying bright orange-yellow butterfly with black wing borders. A pale female form called helice has greenish-white wings instead of orange.

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Did You Know?

It migrates north from the Mediterranean each year but the return generation flies south at such high altitude it is rarely observed.

Bee-fly Hawk Moth

A small day-flying hawk moth that mimics a bumblebee with its furry body and buzzing flight. It visits flowers in gardens and forest edges across South and Southeast Asia.

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Did You Know?

Its species name 'bombylans' means 'buzzing like a bee,' referring to both its sound and appearance during flower visits.