Green Carpenter Bee vs Processionary Caterpillar Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Green Carpenter Bee Processionary Caterpillar Moth
Scientific Name Xylocopa aerata Ochrogaster lunifer
Order Hymenoptera Lepidoptera
Family Apidae Notodontidae
Size 15-20 mm 35-45 mm wingspan
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Wood Feeders Herbivores
Regions Australia Australia, Oceania
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Green Carpenter Bee

A striking carpenter bee with a metallic green or golden-green thorax found only in Australia. It nests in soft dead wood and pithy plant stems.

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Did You Know?

It is one of only a handful of bee species in the world with vivid metallic green body coloring in the genus Xylocopa.

Processionary Caterpillar Moth

A moth whose caterpillars are famous for travelling in long, nose-to-tail processions through the Australian bush. The larvae are covered in irritating hairs that can cause severe allergic reactions in humans.

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Did You Know?

Processions of caterpillars can stretch for metres and contain hundreds of individuals following a silk trail left by the leader.