Gwynne's Mining Bee vs Tumblebug Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Gwynne's Mining Bee Tumblebug Beetle
Scientific Name Andrena bicolor Canthon vigilans
Order Hymenoptera Coleoptera
Family Andrenidae Scarabaeidae
Size 8-10 mm 8-14 mm
Habitat Grasslands Grasslands
Diet Fruit Feeders Carrion Feeders
Regions Europe, Western Asia North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Gwynne's Mining Bee

A small, common mining bee with a two-toned appearance: dark brown thorax and orange-brown abdominal hair. It produces two generations per year in most of its range.

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Did You Know?

Its two annual generations visit completely different sets of flowers, with spring bees favoring trees and summer bees preferring brambles.

Tumblebug Beetle

A small dung beetle that buries carrion as well as dung for its larvae.

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Did You Know?

Unlike most dung beetles it frequently uses dead invertebrates as larval food.