Florida Carpenter Ant vs Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Florida Carpenter Ant Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee
Scientific Name Camponotus floridanus Megachile rotundata
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Formicidae Megachilidae
Size 5-11 mm 7-9 mm
Habitat Woodlands Farmland
Diet Omnivores Herbivores
Regions Southeastern United States North America, Europe, introduced to other regions
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Florida Carpenter Ant

A bicolored carpenter ant with a reddish-orange head and thorax and black abdomen. It is the most common structural pest ant in Florida.

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Did You Know?

Florida carpenter ants have among the largest genomes of any ant species studied, containing around 240 million base pairs.

Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee

A small solitary bee that cuts precise circular pieces from leaves to construct nest cells. It is the most important managed pollinator of alfalfa seed crops in North America.

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Did You Know?

Alfalfa seed yields increased up to 1,000% when this bee was introduced as a managed pollinator.