Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet vs African Giant Carpenter Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet African Giant Carpenter Bee
Scientific Name Xanthorhoe ferrugata Xylocopa flavorufa
Order Lepidoptera Hymenoptera
Family Geometridae Apidae
Size 22-28 mm wingspan 25-33 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Herbivores Wood Feeders
Regions Europe East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet

A common but variable carpet moth found in gardens and hedgerows. Wing pattern ranges from pale to very dark. Larvae feed on bedstraws and other low plants.

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Did You Know?

So variable in appearance that dark and light forms were once described as separate species.

African Giant Carpenter Bee

One of Africa's largest bees, with females covered in tawny-orange fur and males in yellowish hair. It bores large nest tunnels into dead wood.

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Did You Know?

Their nesting tunnels can extend over 30 cm into solid wood and may be used by successive generations for years.