Eighty-eight Butterfly vs Malagasy Paper Wasp

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Eighty-eight Butterfly Malagasy Paper Wasp
Scientific Name Diaethria clymena Polistes olivaceus
Order Lepidoptera Hymenoptera
Family Nymphalidae Vespidae
Size Wingspan 30-40mm 15-20 mm
Habitat Forests Underground
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions South America Madagascar
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Eighty-eight Butterfly

A small butterfly with striking black and white markings on its underwings that clearly spell out the number 88 or 89.

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Did You Know?

The number 88 pattern on its wings is so precise that it appears to have been printed making it one of the most photographed butterflies.

Malagasy Paper Wasp

A slender wasp with an olive-brown body, long dangling legs, and narrow waist. It builds small, exposed paper nests from chewed plant fibers on the underside of leaves and eaves.

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Did You Know?

Females establish dominance hierarchies on the nest, with the queen maintaining her rank through aggressive posturing and antenna drumming.