Blunthorn Bee vs Asian Multicolored Lady Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Blunthorn Bee Asian Multicolored Lady Beetle
Scientific Name Melitta haemorrhoidalis Harmonia axyridis
Order Hymenoptera Coleoptera
Family Melittidae Coccinellidae
Size 10-13 mm 5-8 mm
Habitat Underground Underground
Diet Pollen Feeders Omnivores
Regions Europe, Western Asia East Asia; invasive worldwide
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Blunthorn Bee

A late-summer specialist bee that collects pollen almost exclusively from bellflowers. It has a distinctively short tongue for a melittid bee.

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Did You Know?

Females often become completely dusted in blue bellflower pollen, giving them a striking violet-tinged appearance.

Asian Multicolored Lady Beetle

A highly variable ladybird ranging from orange with many spots to solid black. Originally released for biocontrol, it is now invasive worldwide.

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Did You Know?

It aggregates in enormous numbers on buildings in autumn, sometimes numbering in the thousands.