Blue-black Spider Wasp vs Bicolored Trailing Ant

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Blue-black Spider Wasp Bicolored Trailing Ant
Scientific Name Anoplius viaticus Monacis bispinosa
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Pompilidae Formicidae
Size 8-15 mm 2-3 mm
Habitat Heathland Forests
Diet Predators Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe, Western Asia Central America, Caribbean, Northern South America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Blue-black Spider Wasp

A dark metallic blue spider wasp with orange-red abdominal bands. It hunts wolf spiders on sandy heathlands and dunes across Europe.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the first solitary wasps to appear each spring in northern Europe, sometimes flying as early as March.

Bicolored Trailing Ant

A neotropical dolichoderine ant with two prominent spines on its thorax. It forms long foraging trails on tree trunks and is common in Caribbean and Central American forests.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the few dolichoderine ants that possesses prominent thoracic spines for defense.