Railroad Worm vs African Spider Wasp
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Railroad Worm | African Spider Wasp |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Phrixothrix hirtus | Hemipepsis capensis |
| Order | Coleoptera | Hymenoptera |
| Family | Phengodidae | Pompilidae |
| Size | 30-65 mm (larvae) | 30-50 mm |
| Habitat | Underground | Underground |
| Diet | Omnivores | Predators |
| Regions | South America | Southern Africa |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Railroad Worm
A beetle larva with 11 pairs of green-glowing lateral organs and a red-glowing headlamp — the only land animal that produces two different colors of bioluminescence simultaneously.
Did You Know?
The railroad worm is the only terrestrial animal that glows in two colors at once — green along its sides like railway car windows and red on its head like a locomotive.
African Spider Wasp
A very large blue-black wasp with bright orange wings that hunts baboon spiders. It is one of Africa's largest solitary wasps.
Did You Know?
A single female can overpower and paralyze a baboon spider three times her own weight with a precisely placed sting.