Golden Paper Wasp vs Canary Islands Admiral Butterfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Golden Paper Wasp Canary Islands Admiral Butterfly
Scientific Name Polistes fuscatus Vanessa vulcania
Order Hymenoptera Lepidoptera
Family Vespidae Nymphalidae
Size 15-21 mm 55-65 mm wingspan
Habitat Woodlands Farmland
Diet Fruit Feeders Fruit Feeders
Regions Eastern North America Canary Islands, Madeira
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Golden Paper Wasp

A social wasp with highly variable facial markings used for individual recognition. It builds open paper nests under eaves and in sheltered spots.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the few invertebrates scientifically proven to recognize individual faces.

Canary Islands Admiral Butterfly

An endemic butterfly closely related to the red admiral, found in the Canary Islands and Madeira. It has darker coloring with brighter orange-red bands.

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Did You Know?

It was long considered a subspecies of the red admiral before being elevated to full species status.