Fire-tailed Cuckoo Wasp vs Giant Bess Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Fire-tailed Cuckoo Wasp Giant Bess Beetle
Scientific Name Chrysis viridula Passalus punctiger
Order Hymenoptera Coleoptera
Family Chrysididae Passalidae
Size 6-10 mm 35-50 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Parasites Wood Feeders
Regions Europe, Western Asia South America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Fire-tailed Cuckoo Wasp

A metallic green cuckoo wasp with a distinctive red-gold abdomen tipped with four small teeth. It parasitizes the nests of cavity-nesting solitary wasps.

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Did You Know?

The number of teeth on the tip of the abdomen is a key feature used to identify different cuckoo wasp species.

Giant Bess Beetle

A very large, robust bess beetle with a glossy black exoskeleton and strong mandibles. It creates extensive tunnel systems in large fallen trees. Multiple generations may coexist within a single log.

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Did You Know?

Larvae pupate in protective cases made from frass that parents help construct.