Panda Ant vs Hairy-saddled Colletes

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Panda Ant Hairy-saddled Colletes
Scientific Name Euspinolia militaris Colletes succinctus
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Mutillidae Colletidae
Size 6-8 mm 10-13 mm
Habitat Beaches & Coastal Heathland
Diet Parasitoids Nectar Feeders
Regions South America Europe, Western Asia
Conservation Least Concern Near Threatened

Panda Ant

Not actually an ant but a wingless wasp. Named for its black and white panda-like coloring. Females have an extremely painful sting despite their cute appearance.

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Did You Know?

Despite its adorable panda-like markings, this insect delivers one of the most painful stings of any velvet wasp — Chilean locals call it the killer ant.

Hairy-saddled Colletes

A late-summer plasterer bee that is a specialist on heather, secreting a cellophane-like lining in its underground nest cells. It is an important heathland indicator species.

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Did You Know?

The cellophane-like substance it secretes to waterproof its nest cells is a unique biopolymer not found in any other group of animals.