Red-tipped Flower Beetle vs Small Carpenter Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Red-tipped Flower Beetle Small Carpenter Bee
Scientific Name Malachius bipustulatus Ceratina calcarata
Order Coleoptera Hymenoptera
Family Melyridae Apidae
Size 5-7 mm 5–8 mm
Habitat Underground Underground
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe Eastern North America
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Red-tipped Flower Beetle

A small metallic green beetle with bright red tips on each elytron. Males can evert orange vesicles from their thorax as a display.

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Did You Know?

Males produce pheromone-laden secretions from thoracic vesicles that females lick during courtship.

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.