Orange-tip vs Great Banded Furrow Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Orange-tip Great Banded Furrow Bee
Scientific Name Anthocharis cardamines Halictus scabiosae
Order Lepidoptera Hymenoptera
Family Pieridae Halictidae
Size 38-48 mm wingspan 13-16 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe, Asia Southern and Central Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Orange-tip

Males have bright orange wingtips; females are plain white with black tips. A herald of spring in European woodlands.

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Did You Know?

Males patrol hedgerows searching for freshly emerged females, never visiting the same flower patch twice.

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.