Painted Lady vs Punctate Sweat Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Painted Lady Punctate Sweat Bee
Scientific Name Vanessa cardui Lasioglossum punctatissimum
Order Lepidoptera Hymenoptera
Family Nymphalidae Halictidae
Size 54-73 mm wingspan 5-6 mm
Habitat Tundra & Arctic Grasslands
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Africa, Europe, Asia, North America, Oceania Europe, Western Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Painted Lady

The most widely distributed butterfly in the world, found on every continent except Antarctica and South America. Known for long-distance migrations across continents.

💡

Did You Know?

Painted lady butterflies make the longest known insect migration — up to 15,000 km round-trip between Europe and sub-Saharan Africa across generations.

Punctate Sweat Bee

A tiny, dark furrow bee with dense punctation covering its thorax and head. It is one of the most common but overlooked solitary bees in European grasslands.

💡

Did You Know?

Its heavily sculpted exoskeleton with thousands of tiny pits gives it a matte finish that distinguishes it from shinier related species.