Macrotermes Queen vs African Commodore Butterfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Macrotermes Queen African Commodore Butterfly
Scientific Name Macrotermes bellicosus Precis pelarga
Order Blattodea Lepidoptera
Family Termitidae Nymphalidae
Size 100-140 mm (queen) 45-55 mm wingspan
Habitat Grasslands Grasslands
Diet Fungus Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Africa Southern Africa, East Africa
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Macrotermes Queen

Queens can live for over 25 years (possibly up to 50) and grow to enormous size — a single queen lays up to 30,000 eggs per day, more than any other insect.

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Did You Know?

A Macrotermes queen can live 25-50 years and produce up to 30,000 eggs per day — her abdomen swells so large that she becomes physically incapable of moving.

African Commodore Butterfly

A medium-sized butterfly with warm orange-brown wings and subtle eyespots near the wing margins. It is common in open bushveld and grasslands.

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Did You Know?

Dry-season and wet-season forms look so different they were originally described as separate species.