Painted Mining Bee vs Bordered Rose Sawfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Painted Mining Bee Bordered Rose Sawfly
Scientific Name Andrena fucata Arge cyanocrocea
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Andrenidae Argidae
Size 10-13 mm 7-10 mm
Habitat Woodlands Underground
Diet Nectar Feeders Herbivores
Regions Europe Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Painted Mining Bee

A handsome spring bee with a red-brown thorax and banded abdomen. It is common in woodland clearings and gardens across Europe.

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Did You Know?

It is a favourite host of the cuckoo bee Nomada flava, which lays eggs in its nest burrows.

Bordered Rose Sawfly

A compact sawfly with a striking combination of an orange body and metallic blue-black wings. Larvae are green with orange heads and feed on rose leaves.

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Did You Know?

This species is sometimes confused with its relative Arge ochropus, but can be distinguished by its blue-tinged rather than purple-tinged wings.