Pteromalus Pupal Wasp vs Small Carpenter Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Pteromalus Pupal Wasp Small Carpenter Bee
Scientific Name Pteromalus puparum Ceratina calcarata
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Pteromalidae Apidae
Size 2-3 mm 5–8 mm
Habitat Farmland Underground
Diet Parasitoids Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe, North America, Asia, Oceania Eastern North America
Conservation Not Evaluated Not Evaluated

Pteromalus Pupal Wasp

A small metallic-green parasitoid that attacks butterfly and moth pupae, particularly those of cabbage whites. Multiple wasps develop within a single host pupa.

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Did You Know?

Up to 200 tiny wasps can emerge from a single cabbage white butterfly chrysalis.

Small Carpenter Bee

A tiny metallic blue-green bee that nests in the pithy stems of broken twigs. It is one of the few bee species showing rudimentary social behavior.

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Did You Know?

Mothers guard their nests and feed their developing larvae with pollen, a behavior rare among solitary bees.