Red Mason Bee vs Pink Wax Scale Whitefly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Red Mason Bee Pink Wax Scale Whitefly
Scientific Name Osmia bicornis Aleurocanthus woglumi
Order Hymenoptera Hemiptera
Family Megachilidae Aleyrodidae
Size 8-13 mm 1-1.5 mm
Habitat Orchards Orchards
Diet Fruit Feeders Herbivores
Regions Western Europe, Central Europe, Northern Europe Asia (native), Americas, Africa (invasive)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Red Mason Bee

A compact, ginger-haired solitary bee that nests in hollow stems and bee hotels. It is an exceptionally efficient pollinator of fruit trees in spring.

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Did You Know?

A single red mason bee can do the pollination work of 120 honeybees on apple trees.

Pink Wax Scale Whitefly

Known as the citrus blackfly, this whitefly has dark sooty-colored pupae that distinguish it from other whitefly species. Heavy infestations coat leaves in thick black sooty mold.

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Did You Know?

It was successfully controlled in many countries using the parasitoid wasp Amitus hesperidum, one of the classic triumphs of biological pest control.