Euphorbia Flea Beetle vs Slender Ant

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Euphorbia Flea Beetle Slender Ant
Scientific Name Aphthona euphorbiae Myrmica scabrinodis
Order Coleoptera Hymenoptera
Family Chrysomelidae Formicidae
Size 2-3 mm 3.5-5 mm
Habitat Grasslands Grasslands
Diet Root Feeders Seed Feeders
Regions Europe Europe, Western Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Euphorbia Flea Beetle

A tiny bronze flea beetle that feeds on spurge plants. Used as a highly effective biological control agent for leafy spurge in North America. Larvae feed on spurge roots.

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Did You Know?

Released in North America, it became one of the most successful biocontrol programs for the invasive leafy spurge.

Slender Ant

A medium-sized red-brown ant with coarsely sculptured cuticle, common in grasslands across Europe. Colonies are typically monogynous with a single queen. Workers forage close to the nest in tussock grass.

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Did You Know?

This species is an important host for the Dusky Large Blue butterfly in wetland habitats across Europe.