Hairy-legged Mining Bee vs Philippine Milk Termite

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Hairy-legged Mining Bee Philippine Milk Termite
Scientific Name Melitta tricincta Coptotermes vastator
Order Hymenoptera Blattodea
Family Melittidae Rhinotermitidae
Size 9-11 mm 4-6 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Pollen Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions Europe Philippines
Conservation Near Threatened Least Concern

Hairy-legged Mining Bee

A rare and declining bee that is a strict specialist on red bartsia flowers. It has distinctive hairy hind legs used for carrying the wet, sticky pollen of its host plant.

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Did You Know?

Its complete dependence on a single semi-parasitic plant species makes it one of the most ecologically specialized bees in Europe.

Philippine Milk Termite

The most destructive termite species in the Philippines, causing severe damage to buildings, trees, and crops. Colonies can be enormous with millions of workers. Soldiers produce a white, milky defensive secretion from the frontal gland.

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Did You Know?

This species is so destructive in the Philippines that entire coconut plantations have been devastated, leading to major government-funded control programs.