Desert Digger Bee vs Net-winged Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Desert Digger Bee Net-winged Beetle
Scientific Name Centris pallida Calopteron reticulatum
Order Hymenoptera Coleoptera
Family Apidae Lycidae
Size 15-22 mm 10-18 mm
Habitat Deserts & Drylands Woodlands
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions North America North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Desert Digger Bee

A large, fuzzy solitary bee of the Sonoran Desert that nests in burrows in hard-packed soil. Males patrol nesting areas and dig up emerging females to mate.

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Did You Know?

Males locate females still underground by detecting their scent through the soil surface.

Net-winged Beetle

A toxic beetle with raised net-like veins on its elytra and aposematic coloration.

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Did You Know?

It forms the model species in a large mimicry ring with moths and other beetles.