Golden Carpenter Ant vs Greenhouse Whitefly Parasitoid

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Golden Carpenter Ant Greenhouse Whitefly Parasitoid
Scientific Name Camponotus sericeiventris Encarsia formosa
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Formicidae Eulophidae
Size 8-18 mm 0.5-0.8 mm
Habitat Forests Underground
Diet Herbivores Parasitoids
Regions Central and South America Worldwide
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Golden Carpenter Ant

A striking large ant with dense golden or silvery pubescence covering its gaster, giving it a metallic sheen. Workers are among the largest ants in the Neotropics. They nest in both live and dead trees in tropical forests.

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Did You Know?

The dense pubescence on their body is thought to serve a thermoregulatory function similar to the Saharan silver ant.

Greenhouse Whitefly Parasitoid

The most widely used parasitoid wasp in greenhouse biological control worldwide. Parasitized whitefly nymphs turn black, making monitoring easy.

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Did You Know?

It reproduces entirely by parthenogenesis since males are extremely rare in commercial populations.