Orange Sulphur vs Banded General Soldier Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Orange Sulphur Banded General Soldier Fly
Scientific Name Colias eurytheme Stratiomys potamida
Order Lepidoptera Diptera
Family Pieridae Stratiomyidae
Size 35-55 mm wingspan 12-16 mm
Habitat Grasslands Ponds & Lakes
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions North America Europe, Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Orange Sulphur

Orange-yellow butterfly with black wing borders and a pink-rimmed silver spot on the hindwing underside. Often hybridizes with Clouded Sulphur.

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Did You Know?

It became vastly more abundant after European settlers introduced alfalfa farming across North America.

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.