Flower Wasp vs African Soldier Beetle
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Flower Wasp | African Soldier Beetle |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Cerceris rybyensis | Cantharis africana |
| Order | Hymenoptera | Coleoptera |
| Family | Crabronidae | Cantharidae |
| Size | 8-14 mm | 8-12 mm |
| Habitat | Heathland | Heathland |
| Diet | Predators | Predators |
| Regions | Europe | Africa, Eastern Africa, Southern Africa |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Flower Wasp
A solitary wasp that hunts small mining bees to provision its nest. Nests in sandy soil, often in dense aggregations. Distinguished from other wasps by its hunting specialization.
Did You Know?
Specializes in hunting mining bees (Andrena), catching them on flowers and carrying them back to its burrow.
African Soldier Beetle
A soft-bodied soldier beetle from Sub-Saharan Africa with orange-brown elytra and a darker head region. Like other cantharids, it has flexible elytra and is an active predator of small insects on flowers.
Did You Know?
Soldier beetles are important pollinators in their own right, transferring pollen between flowers as they hunt for prey.