Mexican Twig Ant vs Neotropical Pergid Sawfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Mexican Twig Ant Neotropical Pergid Sawfly
Scientific Name Pseudomyrmex pallidus Acordulecera dorsalis
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Formicidae Pergidae
Size 3-5 mm 5-8 mm
Habitat Heathland Forests
Diet Nectar Feeders Herbivores
Regions Southern United States, Mexico, Central America Central and South America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Mexican Twig Ant

A pale yellowish twig-nesting ant found from the southern United States through Central America. Small colonies occupy single dead twigs or hollow stems.

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Did You Know?

Entire colonies can fit inside a single pencil-width twig, with the queen, brood, and workers all packed together.

Neotropical Pergid Sawfly

A small, dark pergid sawfly found across Central and South America. Adults have compact bodies with relatively short antennae.

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Did You Know?

The Neotropical Pergidae have undergone a remarkable radiation in South America, filling ecological niches occupied by tenthredinids in the Northern Hemisphere.