Blue Cuckoo Wasp vs Elm Cimbicid Sawfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Blue Cuckoo Wasp Elm Cimbicid Sawfly
Scientific Name Trichrysis cyanea Cimbex luteus
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Chrysididae Cimbicidae
Size 5-8 mm 18-25 mm
Habitat Woodlands Parks
Diet Wood Feeders Herbivores
Regions Europe, Asia Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Blue Cuckoo Wasp

A uniformly deep blue metallic cuckoo wasp found across Europe and Asia. It parasitizes various cavity-nesting wasps and bees in dead wood and walls.

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Did You Know?

Its entirely blue coloration without any red or gold makes it one of the most distinctive cuckoo wasps in Europe.

Elm Cimbicid Sawfly

A large, pale yellowish sawfly with conspicuous knobbed antennae. It is associated with elm trees where the large green larvae feed.

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Did You Know?

This species has become less commonly recorded following the decline of elm populations due to Dutch elm disease across Europe.