Odorous House Ant vs Sabre Wasp

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Odorous House Ant Sabre Wasp
Scientific Name Tapinoma sessile Rhyssa persuasoria
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Formicidae Ichneumonidae
Size 2.5-3 mm 25-40 mm body length
Habitat Indoors Farmland
Diet Omnivores Wood Feeders
Regions North America Europe, Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Odorous House Ant

A small dark brown ant that emits a distinctive rotten coconut smell when crushed. It is one of the most common household pest ants in North America.

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Did You Know?

The smell produced when crushed is caused by methyl ketones, the same compounds found in blue cheese.

Sabre Wasp

The largest European ichneumon wasp, recognized by its black-and-white banded body. It parasitizes the larvae of wood wasps within conifer trunks.

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Did You Know?

She can detect a wood wasp larva through several centimeters of solid timber using her antennae.