Small Elephant Hawk Moth vs Hawaiian Yellow-faced Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Small Elephant Hawk Moth Hawaiian Yellow-faced Bee
Scientific Name Deilephila porcellus Hylaeus longiceps
Order Lepidoptera Hymenoptera
Family Sphingidae Colletidae
Size 40-52 mm 7-10 mm
Habitat Grasslands Beaches & Coastal
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe, Central Asia Oceania (Hawaii)
Conservation Least Concern Endangered

Small Elephant Hawk Moth

A smaller relative of the elephant hawk moth, with delicate pink and yellow-olive coloring. It is found in grasslands and meadows where bedstraw grows abundantly.

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Did You Know?

Despite being called 'small,' this moth is still impressively sized compared to most Lepidoptera, with a wingspan approaching that of many butterfly species.

Hawaiian Yellow-faced Bee

An endemic Hawaiian bee with distinctive yellow facial markings, found in dry coastal and lowland habitats. It nests in hollow plant stems and beetle borings. Hawaiian Hylaeus are the only bees native to the Hawaiian Islands.

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Did You Know?

Hawaiian yellow-faced bees were the first bees in the United States to be listed under the Endangered Species Act, in 2016.