Cardo Longhorn vs Yellow-faced Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Cardo Longhorn Yellow-faced Bee
Scientific Name Agapanthia cardui Hylaeus communis
Order Coleoptera Hymenoptera
Family Cerambycidae Colletidae
Size 8-15 mm 5-7 mm
Habitat Heathland Farmland
Diet Pollen Feeders Pollen Feeders
Regions Mediterranean Europe, North Africa Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Cardo Longhorn

A strikingly patterned longhorn with alternating bands of grey and dark pubescence on the elytra. It specializes on thistle stems across the Mediterranean basin. Adults appear in late spring and are active on warm sunny days.

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Did You Know?

The species name cardui comes from the Latin for thistle, reflecting its exclusive association with these plants.

Yellow-faced Bee

A tiny, nearly hairless black bee with distinctive yellow facial markings. It swallows pollen and carries it internally in its crop.

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Did You Know?

Unlike most bees, it carries pollen internally in its stomach rather than on external body hairs.