Parasitic Wood Wasp vs Hornfaced Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Parasitic Wood Wasp Hornfaced Bee
Scientific Name Orussus abietinus Osmia cornifrons
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Orussidae Megachilidae
Size 8-14 mm 10-14 mm
Habitat Woodlands Orchards
Diet Parasitoids Fruit Feeders
Regions Europe, Western Asia East Asia, North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Parasitic Wood Wasp

A small, dark-bodied wasp-like insect with a flattened head and short antennae inserted below the eyes. It is among the most primitive parasitoid Hymenoptera.

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Did You Know?

Orussidae are considered the evolutionary link between sawflies and parasitoid wasps, making them key to understanding Hymenoptera evolution.

Hornfaced Bee

A robust reddish-brown solitary bee native to Japan, widely used for fruit tree pollination. Females have small horn-like projections on the face.

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Did You Know?

In Japan it has been commercially managed for apple pollination since the 1940s.