Painted Soldier Fly vs Gypsy Cuckoo Bumble Bee
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Painted Soldier Fly | Gypsy Cuckoo Bumble Bee |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Sargus cuprarius | Bombus bohemicus |
| Order | Diptera | Hymenoptera |
| Family | Stratiomyidae | Apidae |
| Size | 10-14 mm | 15-22 mm |
| Habitat | Underground | Underground |
| Diet | Herbivores | Pollen Feeders |
| Regions | Europe | Europe, Northern Asia |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Painted Soldier Fly
A brilliantly metallic coppery-green soldier fly with a slender body and clear wings. It basks on sunlit vegetation and is often seen on hogweed and other umbellifers.
Did You Know?
Its metallic sheen changes color depending on the viewing angle, a phenomenon called structural coloration.
Gypsy Cuckoo Bumble Bee
A social parasite that invades colonies of other bumble bees, killing the queen and enslaving the workers. Females lack pollen baskets since they never collect pollen themselves.
Did You Know?
After killing the host queen, the cuckoo female forces the orphaned workers to raise her own offspring instead.