Four-toothed Mason Wasp vs Small Australian Tunneler

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Four-toothed Mason Wasp Small Australian Tunneler
Scientific Name Monobia quadridens Onthophagus parvus
Order Hymenoptera Coleoptera
Family Vespidae Scarabaeidae
Size 16-19 mm 4-6 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Nectar Feeders Dung Feeders
Regions Eastern North America Australia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Four-toothed Mason Wasp

A solitary black and white mason wasp that nests in hollow stems and old carpenter bee tunnels. It provisions cells with paralyzed moth caterpillars.

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Did You Know?

It divides its nest tunnel into multiple cells using mud partitions, each containing one egg.

Small Australian Tunneler

A tiny, brown tunneling dung beetle native to Australia. It is one of the few native Australian species adapted to process the dry, pellet-like dung of marsupials. Found in eucalyptus woodland across the continent.

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Did You Know?

Native Australian dung beetles evolved with marsupial pellet dung and were ill-equipped to handle the wet dung of introduced cattle.