European Orussid Wood Wasp vs Hawaiian Yellow-faced Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute European Orussid Wood Wasp Hawaiian Yellow-faced Bee
Scientific Name Orussus unicolor Hylaeus longiceps
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Orussidae Colletidae
Size 8-12 mm 7-10 mm
Habitat Woodlands Beaches & Coastal
Diet Wood Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Southern Europe Oceania (Hawaii)
Conservation Least Concern Endangered

European Orussid Wood Wasp

A small, dark parasitoid wood wasp with a distinctly flattened head and stout build. It lays eggs into wood to parasitize wood-boring beetle larvae.

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Did You Know?

Orussids use vibrations transmitted through wood to locate hidden host larvae deep inside tree trunks, similar to echolocation.

Hawaiian Yellow-faced Bee

An endemic Hawaiian bee with distinctive yellow facial markings, found in dry coastal and lowland habitats. It nests in hollow plant stems and beetle borings. Hawaiian Hylaeus are the only bees native to the Hawaiian Islands.

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Did You Know?

Hawaiian yellow-faced bees were the first bees in the United States to be listed under the Endangered Species Act, in 2016.