African Acacia Ant vs Virginia Pine Sawfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute African Acacia Ant Virginia Pine Sawfly
Scientific Name Pseudomyrmex sp. (African mimic: Tetraponera penzigi) Neodiprion pratti pratti
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Formicidae Diprionidae
Size 3-6 mm 6-8 mm
Habitat Grasslands Forests
Diet Gall Makers Omnivores
Regions East Africa, Kenya, Tanzania Southeastern United States
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

African Acacia Ant

A slender ant inhabiting the swollen galls of whistling thorn acacias in East Africa. Multiple ant species compete for occupation of these trees in a well-studied ecological system.

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Did You Know?

Four different ant species compete for whistling thorn acacias, with each species altering tree growth in different ways.

Virginia Pine Sawfly

A pine sawfly whose larvae are greenish-yellow with prominent dark stripes. It preferentially attacks Virginia pine and other hard pines in the southeastern United States.

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Did You Know?

This subspecies is restricted to Virginia pine, showing the host specificity that characterizes many Neodiprion sawfly taxa.