Green-banded Swallowtail vs Two-coloured Mason Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Green-banded Swallowtail

A striking black swallowtail with brilliant metallic blue-green bands across both wings. It is a fast flier often seen mud-puddling along rivers.

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Males gather in large numbers at muddy riverbanks to drink mineral-rich water, a behavior called mud-puddling.

A distinctive bee with a black head and thorax and bright orange abdominal hair. It uniquely nests inside empty snail shells on chalk grasslands.

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After filling a snail shell with pollen and eggs, the female camouflages it by piling grass and plant stems over it.