Hawaiian Yellow-faced Bee vs Australian Painted Lady

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Hawaiian Yellow-faced Bee Australian Painted Lady
Scientific Name Hylaeus longiceps Vanessa kershawi
Order Hymenoptera Lepidoptera
Family Colletidae Nymphalidae
Size 7-10 mm 4-5 cm wingspan
Habitat Beaches & Coastal Underground
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Oceania (Hawaii) Australia, New Zealand
Conservation Endangered Least Concern

Hawaiian Yellow-faced Bee

An endemic Hawaiian bee with distinctive yellow facial markings, found in dry coastal and lowland habitats. It nests in hollow plant stems and beetle borings. Hawaiian Hylaeus are the only bees native to the Hawaiian Islands.

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Did You Know?

Hawaiian yellow-faced bees were the first bees in the United States to be listed under the Endangered Species Act, in 2016.

Australian Painted Lady

An orange, black, and white butterfly closely related to the cosmopolitan painted lady. It undertakes seasonal migrations across southeastern Australia.

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Did You Know?

Millions migrate northward in autumn in one of Australia's most impressive insect movements.