Northern Wood Ant vs Robust Large-headed Bee
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Northern Wood Ant | Robust Large-headed Bee |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Formica aquilonia | Stenotritus pubescens |
| Order | Hymenoptera | Hymenoptera |
| Family | Formicidae | Stenotritidae |
| Size | 4-8 mm | 14-18 mm |
| Habitat | Forests | Beaches & Coastal |
| Diet | Sap Feeders | Nectar Feeders |
| Regions | Scandinavia, Finland, northern Russia, Scotland | Southern Australia |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Northern Wood Ant
A medium-sized red and black ant that builds large thatch mounds in boreal forests. Colonies can contain hundreds of thousands of workers. The mound orientation and structure help regulate nest temperature in cold climates.
Did You Know?
The ant mound acts as a solar collector, oriented to catch maximum sunlight, keeping the colony up to 20 degrees warmer than ambient temperature.
Robust Large-headed Bee
A heavily built bee covered in dense pale pubescence found in southern Australia. It is one of the fastest-flying bee species and is difficult to catch in flight.
Did You Know?
It has been clocked flying at speeds exceeding 28 km/h, making it one of the fastest bees ever recorded.