Great Spangled Fritillary vs Smelly Carpenter Ant

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Great Spangled Fritillary Smelly Carpenter Ant
Scientific Name Speyeria cybele Dolichoderus thoracicus
Order Lepidoptera Hymenoptera
Family Nymphalidae Formicidae
Size 62-88 mm wingspan 3-4 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Nectar Feeders Omnivores
Regions North America Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Great Spangled Fritillary

Large orange butterfly with heavy black markings and silver spots on the hindwing underside. Common across much of North America.

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Did You Know?

Newly hatched caterpillars do not eat until the following spring after overwintering.

Smelly Carpenter Ant

A Southeast Asian dolichoderine ant that tends mealybugs inside shelters built from chewed plant material. It is a significant pest of cacao and coconut plantations.

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Did You Know?

They build elaborate carton tents over mealybug colonies on crop plants, protecting their honeydew source from rain and predators.