Cabbage Looper Parasite vs Slender Ant

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Cabbage Looper Parasite Slender Ant
Scientific Name Microplitis plutellae Myrmica scabrinodis
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Braconidae Formicidae
Size 2-4 mm 3.5-5 mm
Habitat Farmland Grasslands
Diet Parasitoids Seed Feeders
Regions North America, Europe, Asia Europe, Western Asia
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.

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Did You Know?

The emerging larva spins its cocoon so fast that the entire pupation process is completed within just a few hours.

Slender Ant

A medium-sized red-brown ant with coarsely sculptured cuticle, common in grasslands across Europe. Colonies are typically monogynous with a single queen. Workers forage close to the nest in tussock grass.

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Did You Know?

This species is an important host for the Dusky Large Blue butterfly in wetland habitats across Europe.