European Spruce Sawfly vs Hawaiian Yellow-faced Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute European Spruce Sawfly Hawaiian Yellow-faced Bee
Scientific Name Gilpinia hercyniae Hylaeus longiceps
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Diprionidae Colletidae
Size 7-10 mm 7-10 mm
Habitat Farmland Beaches & Coastal
Diet Omnivores Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe, introduced to North America Oceania (Hawaii)
Conservation Least Concern Endangered

European Spruce Sawfly

A moderately sized sawfly with dark brown to black coloring and pectinate antennae in males. Larvae are green with white lateral stripes and feed on spruce needles.

💡

Did You Know?

After its introduction to North America in the 1920s, it caused massive spruce defoliation until a naturally occurring nuclear polyhedrosis virus brought populations under control.

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.

💡

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.