Aphidius Wasp vs Railroad Worm

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Aphidius Wasp Railroad Worm
Scientific Name Aphidius colemani Phrixothrix hirtus
Order Hymenoptera Coleoptera
Family Braconidae Phengodidae
Size 1.5-2.5 mm 30-65 mm (larvae)
Habitat Underground Underground
Diet Parasitoids Omnivores
Regions Worldwide South America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Aphidius Wasp

A minute parasitoid wasp widely used in greenhouses to control aphid pests. A single female can parasitize over 300 aphids in her lifetime.

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Did You Know?

Parasitized aphids turn into hardened golden-brown shells called 'mummies' from which new wasps emerge.

Railroad Worm

A beetle larva with 11 pairs of green-glowing lateral organs and a red-glowing headlamp — the only land animal that produces two different colors of bioluminescence simultaneously.

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Did You Know?

The railroad worm is the only terrestrial animal that glows in two colors at once — green along its sides like railway car windows and red on its head like a locomotive.