Blue Ant vs Amazonian Net-Winged Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Blue Ant Amazonian Net-Winged Beetle
Scientific Name Diamma bicolor Calopteron brasiliense
Order Hymenoptera Coleoptera
Family Tiphiidae Lycidae
Size 20-25 mm 10-20 mm
Habitat Underground Underground
Diet Nectar Feeders Predators
Regions Australia, Oceania Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Blue Ant

Despite its name, the Blue Ant is actually a wingless flower wasp, not an ant. Females are metallic blue-green with a powerful sting and are commonly seen running across the ground in search of mole cricket larvae.

💡

Did You Know?

The wingless female resembles a large ant, while the smaller winged male looks like a completely different insect.

Amazonian Net-Winged Beetle

A soft-bodied beetle with broad, fan-shaped elytra featuring a net-like venation pattern. Its bright orange and black coloring warns predators of toxicity.

💡

Did You Know?

Multiple harmless beetle species mimic its warning coloration, forming a large Mullerian mimicry ring in the forest.