Pine Webspinning Sawfly vs Malagasy Trap-jaw Ant

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Pine Webspinning Sawfly Malagasy Trap-jaw Ant
Scientific Name Cephalcia arvensis Mystrium oberthueri
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Pamphiliidae Amblyoponidae
Size 10-14 mm 4-7 mm
Habitat Farmland Woodlands
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Central and Eastern Europe Madagascar
Conservation Least Concern Data Deficient

Pine Webspinning Sawfly

A flat-bodied sawfly with long antennae and dark coloring. Larvae live communally in silk webs spun among spruce needles.

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Did You Know?

Periodic outbreaks in spruce monocultures can last several years, with the silk nests becoming a conspicuous feature of infested forests.

Malagasy Trap-jaw Ant

A pale yellow to amber ant with elongated mandibles that can snap shut at extreme speeds. It is closely related to M. camillae and shares the Dracula ant feeding behavior.

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Did You Know?

Like other Dracula ants, workers feed by non-destructively puncturing larval skin and drinking hemolymph, a practice unique among ants.