Cuckoo Bee vs Lined Tiger Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Cuckoo Bee Lined Tiger Moth
Scientific Name Nomada flava Grammia virgo
Order Hymenoptera Lepidoptera
Family Apidae Arctiidae
Size 8-11 mm 55-75 mm wingspan
Habitat Meadows Meadows
Diet Pollen Feeders Herbivores
Regions Europe, Asia Eastern and Central North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Cuckoo Bee

A slender, wasp-like bee with yellow and black banding that lacks pollen-collecting structures. It is a brood parasite that sneaks into the nests of mining bees to lay its eggs.

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Did You Know?

Like cuckoo birds, these bees lay their eggs in the nests of other bee species, where the cuckoo larva kills the host egg and consumes all the stored food.

Lined Tiger Moth

A boldly patterned moth with black forewings bearing thin cream stripes and bright pinkish-red hindwings with black patches. It is one of the largest North American tiger moths.

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Did You Know?

When threatened, it emits a frothy yellow fluid from glands behind its head that contains noxious chemicals.