Sunbeam Butterfly vs Aulacopus Prionine

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Sunbeam Butterfly Aulacopus Prionine
Scientific Name Curetis thetis Aulacopus reticulatus
Order Lepidoptera Coleoptera
Family Lycaenidae Cerambycidae
Size 34-40 mm wingspan 30-55 mm
Habitat Forests Forests
Diet Nectar Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions South Asia, Southeast Asia Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Sunbeam Butterfly

Dark upper wings contrast with brilliant silvery-white undersides. Fast-flying and sun-loving, often found darting around treetops.

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Did You Know?

Its reflective silver underside flashes in sunlight, earning the genus the name Sunbeam.

Aulacopus Prionine

A flattened, reddish-brown prionine beetle with strongly reticulated elytra found in tropical Africa. It breeds in large fallen trunks of rainforest trees. Adults are nocturnal and powerful fliers attracted to lights.

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Did You Know?

The reticulate pattern on the elytra is so regular it appears almost machine-engraved.