Hairy Wood Ant vs Trimmer's Mining Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Hairy Wood Ant Trimmer's Mining Bee
Scientific Name Formica lugubris Andrena trimmerana
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Formicidae Andrenidae
Size 4-8 mm 10-12 mm
Habitat Forests Grasslands
Diet Carrion Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe, Northern Asia Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Hairy Wood Ant

A large mound-building ant of upland coniferous forests with noticeably hairy body surfaces. It forms polydomous colonies with multiple interconnected nests.

💡

Did You Know?

A supercolony in the Swiss Jura mountains contained over 1,200 interconnected nests spanning 70 hectares.

Trimmer's Mining Bee

A widespread spring mining bee with brownish-grey fur and a distinctive tooth on the hind femur. It forages on a wide range of early-blooming flowers.

💡

Did You Know?

The small femoral tooth on its hind leg distinguishes it from nearly all other European Andrena species.