Pine White vs African Fig Wasp

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Pine White African Fig Wasp
Scientific Name Neophasia menapia Ceratosolen capensis
Order Lepidoptera Hymenoptera
Family Pieridae Agaonidae
Size 42-52 mm wingspan 1-3 mm
Habitat Mountains Rivers & Streams
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Western North America Southern Africa, East Africa
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Pine White

Delicate white butterfly with black forewing veins. Uniquely among pierids, larvae feed on conifer needles rather than broadleaf plants.

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Did You Know?

Periodic population explosions can defoliate large stands of ponderosa pine forest.

African Fig Wasp

A tiny wasp with an obligate mutualistic relationship with African fig trees. Females enter figs through a narrow opening to pollinate and lay eggs.

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Did You Know?

Each fig species has its own specific fig wasp pollinator, making them one of nature's most precise co-evolutionary partnerships.