Golden Spiny Ant vs Hedgehog Flea

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Golden Spiny Ant Hedgehog Flea
Scientific Name Polyrhachis ammon Archaeopsylla erinacei
Order Hymenoptera Siphonaptera
Family Formicidae Pulicidae
Size 5-7 mm 2-3.5 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Nectar Feeders Blood Feeders
Regions Australia Europe, North Africa
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Golden Spiny Ant

A striking Australian spiny ant with golden pubescence covering a black body. Workers have prominent paired petiolar spines. Colonies nest in soil mounds or under bark and are common in Australian eucalypt woodlands.

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Did You Know?

Their golden body hairs reflect sunlight and may help with thermoregulation in the hot Australian sun.

Hedgehog Flea

A large flea specific to European hedgehogs and one of the most abundant fleas in Western Europe. A single hedgehog can harbor hundreds.

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Did You Know?

Hedgehogs are so commonly infested that an average individual carries about 100 of these fleas.