Four-banded Furrow Bee vs Greenland Copper

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Four-banded Furrow Bee Greenland Copper
Scientific Name Halictus quadricinctus Lycaena phlaeas polaris
Order Hymenoptera Lepidoptera
Family Halictidae Lycaenidae
Size 14-16 mm 22-28 mm wingspan
Habitat Grasslands Tundra & Arctic
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Southern and Central Europe, Western Asia Greenland, Iceland, Arctic Scandinavia
Conservation Near Threatened Least Concern

Four-banded Furrow Bee

A large, robust halictid bee with four prominent white hair bands across its dark abdomen. It is one of the biggest sweat bees in Europe.

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Did You Know?

At up to 16 mm long, it is almost as large as a honey bee and dwarfs most other species in its family.

Greenland Copper

The Arctic subspecies of the small copper butterfly, smaller and darker than its temperate counterparts. The forewings are bright copper-orange with dark spots. It is one of few butterflies found in southern Greenland.

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Did You Know?

The Greenland population is believed to have survived the last Ice Age in a coastal refugium, making it a true glacial relict.