Japanese Clouded Yellow vs Banded General Soldier Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Japanese Clouded Yellow Banded General Soldier Fly
Scientific Name Colias erate Stratiomys potamida
Order Lepidoptera Diptera
Family Pieridae Stratiomyidae
Size 40-50 mm wingspan 12-16 mm
Habitat Grasslands Ponds & Lakes
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions East Asia, Japan/Korea Europe, Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Japanese Clouded Yellow

Known as 'monjiro-cho' in Japanese, a common yellow butterfly found in open grasslands. Males are bright yellow while females may be white or yellow. A familiar sight in Japanese fields.

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Did You Know?

This butterfly is so common in Japan that it is one of the first butterflies children learn to identify, and it features in many Japanese children's songs.

Banded General Soldier Fly

A large, boldly marked soldier fly with a broad flat abdomen bearing yellow lateral markings. Its aquatic larvae are elongate and can breathe through a posterior spiracle at the water surface.

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Did You Know?

Larvae can survive in heavily polluted water where most other aquatic insects cannot live.