Short-winged Firefly vs Asian Mud Dauber

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Short-winged Firefly Asian Mud Dauber
Scientific Name Lucidota atra Sceliphron curvatum
Order Coleoptera Hymenoptera
Family Lampyridae Sphecidae
Size 8-13 mm 15-25 mm
Habitat Underground Underground
Diet Herbivores Nectar Feeders
Regions North America Central Asia, Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Short-winged Firefly

A dark-bodied, day-active firefly that has lost the ability to produce light as an adult. It has a black body with a reddish-orange pronotum and is often found on tree trunks and vegetation.

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Did You Know?

Despite being a firefly, this diurnal species relies on chemical pheromones rather than light signals to find mates.

Asian Mud Dauber

A dark-bodied mud dauber originally from Central Asia now invasive across Europe. It builds mud nests inside buildings and provisions them with spiders.

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Did You Know?

It spread from its native range in India and Central Asia to colonize most of southern and central Europe within just 30 years.