Large-headed Resin Bee vs Black Horntail

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Large-headed Resin Bee Black Horntail
Scientific Name Heriades truncorum Xeris spectrum
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Megachilidae Siricidae
Size 6-8 mm 15–32 mm
Habitat Orchards Forests
Diet Nectar Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions Europe, Western Asia Europe, North America, Asia
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Large-headed Resin Bee

A tiny black resin bee with a disproportionately large head that nests in beetle holes and hollow stems. It uses plant resin to construct partitions between brood cells.

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Did You Know?

Its oversized head allows it to perfectly plug the entrance of its narrow nest cavity like a living door.

Black Horntail

A slender black horntail wasp that breeds in dead conifer wood across the Northern Hemisphere. It is frequently found in fire-damaged forests.

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Did You Know?

It is typically one of the first wood-boring insects to colonize trees killed by forest fires.