Honey Bee vs Silver-striped Hawk Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Honey Bee Silver-striped Hawk Moth
Scientific Name Apis mellifera Hippotion celerio
Order Hymenoptera Lepidoptera
Family Apidae Sphingidae
Size 12-15 mm 60-80 mm wingspan
Habitat Heathland Orchards
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Worldwide East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Rwanda)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Honey Bee

The worlds most important pollinator. Lives in complex colonies of up to 80,000 individuals with a single queen. Communicates food locations through the waggle dance.

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Did You Know?

A honey bee must visit about 2 million flowers and fly over 88,000 km — equivalent to circling the Earth twice — to produce just one pound of honey.

Silver-striped Hawk Moth

A medium-sized hawk moth with olive-brown forewings and bright pink hindwings, featuring silver stripes along the body. It is a powerful migrant found throughout the tropics.

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Did You Know?

Its caterpillars have prominent eyespots that make them look like small snakes to deter predators.