Painted Bat Moth vs Bee Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Painted Bat Moth Bee Moth
Scientific Name Alcidis zodiaca Aphomia sociella
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Uraniidae Crambidae
Size 80-120 mm wingspan 30-42 mm wingspan
Habitat Forests Woodlands
Diet Nectar Feeders Parasites
Regions Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Papua, Sulawesi, Maluku Islands) Europe, Asia, North America (introduced)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Painted Bat Moth

A day-flying moth with iridescent blue-black wings marked with bands of brilliant orange and white patches. Its flight is slow and butterfly-like, displaying its warning colors conspicuously.

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Did You Know?

Despite being a moth, it is entirely diurnal and its iridescent wings rival the beauty of any butterfly in the region.

Bee Moth

A robust pinkish-brown moth whose larvae are nest parasites of bumblebees and wasps. Females enter bee nests at night to lay their eggs.

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Did You Know?

A single larval web can contain hundreds of caterpillars that completely destroy a bumblebee nest.