Common Furrow Bee vs Coffee Bee Hawk Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Common Furrow Bee Coffee Bee Hawk Moth
Scientific Name Halictus rubicundus Cephonodes picus
Order Hymenoptera Lepidoptera
Family Halictidae Sphingidae
Size 9-11 mm 35-50 mm
Habitat Underground Farmland
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe, North America, Asia East Africa, Madagascar
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Common Furrow Bee

A widespread sweat bee found across the Northern Hemisphere that displays flexible social behavior. In warmer regions they are primitively eusocial; in colder climates they are solitary.

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Did You Know?

They switch between solitary and social lifestyles depending on latitude and climate, making them key to studying social evolution.

Coffee Bee Hawk Moth

A smaller clearwing hawk moth with transparent wings and a compact olive and yellow body. It is often found around coffee plantations in Africa where its larvae feed on Rubiaceae.

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Did You Know?

This species is sometimes considered a minor pest of coffee plantations in East Africa, where its caterpillars can defoliate young coffee plants.