Guedin's Hawk Moth vs Two-coloured Mason Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Guedin's Hawk Moth Two-coloured Mason Bee
Scientific Name Macroglossum gyrans Osmia bicolor
Order Lepidoptera Hymenoptera
Family Sphingidae Megachilidae
Size 35-45 mm 8-11 mm
Habitat Heathland Grasslands
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Guedin's Hawk Moth

A small day-flying hawk moth with olive-brown forewings and orange-yellow hindwings. It hovers at flowers like a hummingbird and is widespread across tropical Asia.

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Did You Know?

Macroglossum gyrans can beat its wings over 70 times per second while hovering, producing the characteristic humming sound that gives its genus its name.

Two-coloured Mason Bee

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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Did You Know?

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