Broad-faced Sweat Bee vs Sand-Case Caddisfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Broad-faced Sweat Bee Sand-Case Caddisfly
Scientific Name Lasioglossum platycephalum Sericostoma personatum
Order Hymenoptera Trichoptera
Family Halictidae Sericostomatidae
Size 7-9 mm 10-14 mm
Habitat Rivers & Streams Rivers & Streams
Diet Nectar Feeders Herbivores
Regions Europe Europe
Conservation Near Threatened Least Concern

Broad-faced Sweat Bee

A rare and distinctive European furrow bee with an unusually broad, flattened head. It nests in sandy or gravelly soils and has become scarce throughout much of its range.

💡

Did You Know?

Its flattened head shape is thought to be an adaptation for more efficiently excavating nest tunnels in compacted sandy soil.

Sand-Case Caddisfly

A caddisfly whose larvae build smooth, curved cases entirely from fine sand grains cemented with silk. Adults are dark with hairy wings.

💡

Did You Know?

The curved sand-grain cases built by these larvae are so precisely constructed they resemble tiny miniature architectural works.