Grey-patched Mining Bee vs Gum-Tree Pergid Sawfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Grey-patched Mining Bee Gum-Tree Pergid Sawfly
Scientific Name Andrena nitida Perga polita
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Andrenidae Pergidae
Size 10-13 mm 14-20 mm
Habitat Beaches & Coastal Woodlands
Diet Fruit Feeders Herbivores
Regions Europe Southeastern Australia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Grey-patched Mining Bee

A glossy black bee with patches of grey hair on the thorax. It is one of the earliest spring-flying solitary bees in Europe.

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Did You Know?

It is a key pollinator of blackthorn, which produces sloe berries used to make sloe gin.

Gum-Tree Pergid Sawfly

A robust Australian sawfly with a dark, polished body. Its gregarious larvae cluster on eucalyptus branches and produce a strong eucalyptus odor when disturbed.

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Did You Know?

The powerful eucalyptus-oil smell released by disturbed larvae can be detected from several meters away and serves as a chemical defense.