Pallidipes Tsetse Fly vs Purple Hairstreak

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Pallidipes Tsetse Fly Purple Hairstreak
Scientific Name Glossina pallidipes Favonius quercus
Order Diptera Lepidoptera
Family Glossinidae Lycaenidae
Size 9-14 mm 31-40 mm wingspan
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Blood Feeders Omnivores
Regions East Africa, from Ethiopia to Mozambique Europe, western Asia, North Africa
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Pallidipes Tsetse Fly

A large savanna tsetse fly with a distinctive pale brownish coloration, found in woodland habitats of East Africa. It is a major vector of nagana (animal trypanosomiasis) and can also transmit human sleeping sickness. It feeds primarily on wild game and domestic livestock.

💡

Did You Know?

Traps baited with cow urine and acetone can catch thousands of G. pallidipes per day, forming the basis of community-based control programs.

Purple Hairstreak

A small dark butterfly with a purple-blue sheen visible only at certain angles, living almost exclusively in oak canopies. It feeds on honeydew rather than visiting flowers.

💡

Did You Know?

Colonies can exist undetected for years because the butterflies almost never leave the treetops.