Flower Wasp vs Rothschild's Silkmoth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Flower Wasp Rothschild's Silkmoth
Scientific Name Cerceris rybyensis Rothschildia jacobaeae
Order Hymenoptera Lepidoptera
Family Crabronidae Saturniidae
Size 8-14 mm 100-150 mm wingspan
Habitat Heathland Heathland
Diet Predators Herbivores
Regions Europe Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Flower Wasp

A solitary wasp that hunts small mining bees to provision its nest. Nests in sandy soil, often in dense aggregations. Distinguished from other wasps by its hunting specialization.

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Did You Know?

Specializes in hunting mining bees (Andrena), catching them on flowers and carrying them back to its burrow.

Rothschild's Silkmoth

A large silkmoth with reddish-brown wings featuring bold triangular translucent patches. Each wing also bears a crescent-shaped eyespot.

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Did You Know?

The clear windows in its wings are completely scaleless, which is unusual since moth wings are normally covered in thousands of scales.