Large Copper Butterfly vs Great Banded Furrow Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Large Copper Butterfly Great Banded Furrow Bee
Scientific Name Lycaena dispar Halictus scabiosae
Order Lepidoptera Hymenoptera
Family Lycaenidae Halictidae
Size 33-40 mm wingspan 13-16 mm
Habitat Wetlands Woodlands
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe, Asia Southern and Central Europe
Conservation Near Threatened Least Concern

Large Copper Butterfly

Once widespread across European wetlands, the English subspecies went extinct in the 1850s. Remaining populations are declining due to drainage of fens and marshes.

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Did You Know?

The English subspecies of the large copper was one of the first British butterflies to go extinct — driven to extinction by drainage of the East Anglian fens in the 1850s.

Great Banded Furrow Bee

One of Europe's largest halictid bees, with prominent white abdominal hair bands. It is a eusocial species expanding its range northward, likely due to climate warming.

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Did You Know?

Its range has expanded northward by several hundred kilometers in recent decades, making it a clear indicator species for climate change effects on insects.