Large Scabious Mining Bee vs White-footed Ant

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Large Scabious Mining Bee White-footed Ant
Scientific Name Andrena hattorfiana Technomyrmex difficilis
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Andrenidae Formicidae
Size 14-17 mm 2.5-3 mm
Habitat Farmland Heathland
Diet Pollen Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe Southeast Asia, Southeastern United States, Caribbean
Conservation Vulnerable Least Concern

Large Scabious Mining Bee

One of the largest European mining bees with a striking red abdomen loaded with pink pollen. It is a specialist of field scabious flowers.

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Did You Know?

Females can carry a huge ball of bright pink scabious pollen on their hind legs that is visible from several meters away.

White-footed Ant

A small black ant with pale tarsi that forms enormous colonies numbering in the millions. It is a serious pest in Florida and other subtropical regions.

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Did You Know?

Up to half of all workers in a colony are fertile, giving them an extraordinary reproductive rate compared to other ant species.