Common Pimpline Wasp vs Kaup Bess Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Common Pimpline Wasp Kaup Bess Beetle
Scientific Name Pimpla hypochondriaca Passalus interstitialis
Order Hymenoptera Coleoptera
Family Ichneumonidae Passalidae
Size 10-15 mm 30-40 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Parasitoids Wood Feeders
Regions Europe, Asia Central America, Mexico
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Common Pimpline Wasp

A stout black parasitoid wasp that attacks moth and butterfly pupae. It is one of the most frequently encountered ichneumonids in Europe.

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Did You Know?

Females inject venom that permanently paralyzes the host pupa before laying an egg on it.

Kaup Bess Beetle

A large, elongate, shiny black bess beetle with prominent mandibles and longitudinal grooves on the elytra. It is the most common Passalid in Central America. Colonies of adults and larvae inhabit decaying logs.

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Did You Know?

Bess beetles are subsocial insects where parents and offspring live together and cooperate in maintaining their log galleries.