Cape Oil-collecting Bee vs Fairy Wasp

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Cape Oil-collecting Bee Fairy Wasp
Scientific Name Rediviva neliana Kikiki huna
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Melittidae Mymaridae
Size 10-14 mm 0.13-0.18 mm
Habitat Mountains Underground
Diet Nectar Feeders Parasitoids
Regions South Africa North America, Oceania
Conservation Data Deficient Data Deficient

Cape Oil-collecting Bee

A South African oil-collecting bee with extraordinarily long front legs used to extract floral oil from deep-spurred Diascia flowers. It is a solitary ground-nesting species.

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Did You Know?

Its front legs can be longer than its entire body, an extreme adaptation for reaching oils at the bottom of deep flower spurs.

Fairy Wasp

One of the smallest known insects in the world at just 0.15 millimeters long.

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Did You Know?

It is smaller than some single-celled protozoans.