Common Anchomenus vs Thread-waisted Wasp
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Common Anchomenus | Thread-waisted Wasp |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anchomenus dorsalis | Ammophila sabulosa |
| Order | Coleoptera | Hymenoptera |
| Family | Carabidae | Sphecidae |
| Size | 6-8 mm | 16-24 mm |
| Habitat | Farmland | Beaches & Coastal |
| Diet | Predators | Predators |
| Regions | Europe, western Asia, North Africa | Europe, Asia |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Common Anchomenus
A small, elegant ground beetle with metallic green elytra, a reddish-brown head, and pale legs. It is one of the most effective aphid predators in European cereal crops.
Did You Know?
Video studies have revealed it can consume an aphid in under 30 seconds and may eat more than 100 aphids per day during peak pest outbreaks in wheat fields.
Thread-waisted Wasp
An elegant wasp with an extremely narrow petiole and red-banded abdomen. It hunts caterpillars and carries them clasped beneath its body to sandy burrows.
Did You Know?
It uses a small pebble as a tool to tamp down the sand plug sealing its burrow, one of the earliest documented cases of tool use in insects.