Netelia Ichneumon Wasp vs Bee Assassin Bug

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Netelia Ichneumon Wasp Bee Assassin Bug
Scientific Name Netelia melanura Apiomerus flaviventris
Order Hymenoptera Hemiptera
Family Ichneumonidae Reduviidae
Size 14-18 mm 12-18 mm
Habitat Underground Underground
Diet Parasitoids Predators
Regions Europe South America (Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Netelia Ichneumon Wasp

A large orange ichneumon wasp attracted to light at night. Parasitizes noctuid moth caterpillars. Has a distinctive compressed, blade-like abdomen.

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Did You Know?

Regularly enters houses at night, attracted by lights, and can give a mild sting if handled.

Bee Assassin Bug

A brightly colored assassin bug with a red and black body and a yellow underside. It specializes in ambushing bees and other flower-visiting insects by coating its forelegs with sticky plant resin. It is commonly found perched on flowers waiting for prey.

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Did You Know?

It applies sticky plant resin to its forelegs as a natural glue trap, an extremely rare example of tool use in insects.