Comma Butterfly vs Deraeocoris Plant Bug

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Comma Butterfly Deraeocoris Plant Bug
Scientific Name Polygonia c-album Deraeocoris ruber
Order Lepidoptera Hemiptera
Family Nymphalidae Miridae
Size 44-48 mm wingspan 6-8 mm
Habitat Orchards Orchards
Diet Sap Feeders Predators
Regions Europe, North Africa, Asia Europe, western Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Comma Butterfly

Orange butterfly with ragged wing edges and a small white comma-shaped mark on the underside. The irregular outline mimics a dead leaf.

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Did You Know?

Its range has expanded northward in Britain over recent decades, likely due to climate warming.

Deraeocoris Plant Bug

A small, shiny dark reddish-brown to black predatory plant bug found across Europe. It feeds on aphids, spider mites, and psyllids on various trees and shrubs. The coloration is highly variable, ranging from red to nearly black.

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Did You Know?

Its extreme color variation confused early taxonomists who described several different species that were later found to be a single, highly polymorphic species.