Large Birch Cimbicid vs Arctic Ant

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Large Birch Cimbicid Arctic Ant
Scientific Name Cimbex connatus Leptothorax acervorum
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Cimbicidae Formicidae
Size 18-28 mm 2-4 mm
Habitat Woodlands Forests
Diet Herbivores Scavengers
Regions Northern and Eastern Europe, Siberia Scandinavia, Finland, northern Russia, subarctic Canada, Alaska
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Large Birch Cimbicid

A very large sawfly, closely related to C. femoratus, with a massive body and distinctly clubbed antennae. Adults vary in color from yellowish to dark brownish-black.

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Did You Know?

This species was once confused with C. femoratus until detailed morphological studies separated them as distinct species based on antennal and genital characters.

Arctic Ant

A tiny, reddish-brown ant that forms small colonies under stones and in wood crevices in boreal and subarctic regions. Colonies are small, often containing fewer than 100 workers. It is one of the most cold-tolerant ant species.

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Did You Know?

This ant can survive being frozen at temperatures down to minus 20 degrees Celsius by producing glycerol as a natural antifreeze.