Desert Globe Mallow Bee vs Large White

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Desert Globe Mallow Bee Large White
Scientific Name Diadasia diminuta Pieris brassicae
Order Hymenoptera Lepidoptera
Family Apidae Pieridae
Size 8-12 mm 58-63 mm wingspan
Habitat Heathland Farmland
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions North America Europe, Asia, Africa
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Desert Globe Mallow Bee

A specialist solitary bee that visits only globe mallow flowers in the American Southwest. It lines its underground nest cells with an oily secretion to waterproof them.

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Did You Know?

Its extreme flower loyalty makes it one of the most efficient pollinators of globe mallow plants.

Large White

A common white butterfly with black wingtips and one or two black spots on the forewing. Its green-yellow caterpillars are a major agricultural pest of brassica crops.

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Did You Know?

The caterpillars sequester mustard oils from their food plants and can spray these noxious chemicals at attacking predators.