Cuckoo Bee vs White Pine Sawfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Cuckoo Bee White Pine Sawfly
Scientific Name Nomada flava Neodiprion pinetum
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Apidae Diprionidae
Size 8-11 mm 6-9 mm (adult)
Habitat Meadows Forests
Diet Pollen Feeders Omnivores
Regions Europe, Asia North America
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Cuckoo Bee

A slender, wasp-like bee with yellow and black banding that lacks pollen-collecting structures. It is a brood parasite that sneaks into the nests of mining bees to lay its eggs.

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Did You Know?

Like cuckoo birds, these bees lay their eggs in the nests of other bee species, where the cuckoo larva kills the host egg and consumes all the stored food.

White Pine Sawfly

A defoliator primarily attacking eastern white pine in North America. Larvae feed in clusters, consuming entire needles.

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Did You Know?

Repeated heavy defoliation over several years can kill even mature white pine trees.