Sara Longwing vs Glossina Austeni Tsetse Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Sara Longwing Glossina Austeni Tsetse Fly
Scientific Name Heliconius sara Glossina austeni
Order Lepidoptera Diptera
Family Nymphalidae Glossinidae
Size 55-70 mm wingspan 7-10 mm
Habitat Forests Forests
Diet Nectar Feeders Blood Feeders
Regions Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Central America Coastal East Africa, from Kenya to Mozambique
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Sara Longwing

A striking longwing butterfly with velvety black wings marked by brilliant blue iridescent bands. It roosts communally in groups at night.

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Did You Know?

Groups of up to 15 individuals return to the same roosting branch every evening for months, guided by chemical cues.

Glossina Austeni Tsetse Fly

A small, dark-colored tsetse fly found in coastal forests and thickets of East Africa. It is a vector of both human and animal trypanosomiasis in coastal regions. It was successfully eradicated from the island of Unguja (Zanzibar) using the sterile insect technique in 1997.

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Did You Know?

Its eradication from Zanzibar using sterile males released from aircraft was the first successful elimination of a tsetse species from an island.