Cabbage Looper Parasite vs Dacetine Trap-Jaw Ant
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Cabbage Looper Parasite | Dacetine Trap-Jaw Ant |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Microplitis plutellae | Strumigenys emmae |
| Order | Hymenoptera | Hymenoptera |
| Family | Braconidae | Formicidae |
| Size | 2-4 mm | 1.5-2.5 mm |
| Habitat | Farmland | Indoors |
| Diet | Parasitoids | Detritivores |
| Regions | North America, Europe, Asia | Europe, North Africa |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Cabbage Looper Parasite
A small dark braconid wasp that attacks caterpillars of the diamondback moth and cabbage looper. A single larva emerges and spins a dark cocoon beside the dead host.
Did You Know?
The emerging larva spins its cocoon so fast that the entire pupation process is completed within just a few hours.
Dacetine Trap-Jaw Ant
A minute trap-jaw ant with elongate mandibles fringed with specialized hairs used to detect and capture tiny soil-dwelling springtails. Workers are slow-moving, cryptic hunters that stalk prey in leaf litter. Their bodies are covered in bizarre spatulate hairs.
Did You Know?
Their mandible trigger hairs are so sensitive they can detect the vibrations of a springtail walking nearby and snap shut in microseconds.