Silken Fungus Beetle vs Four-toothed Mason Wasp

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute	Silken Fungus Beetle	Four-toothed Mason Wasp
Scientific Name	Cryptophagus lycoperdi	Monobia quadridens
Order	Coleoptera	Hymenoptera
Family	Cryptophagidae	Vespidae
Size	2-3 mm	16-19 mm
Habitat	Woodlands	Woodlands
Diet	Fungus Feeders	Nectar Feeders
Regions	Europe	Eastern North America
Conservation	Least Concern	Least Concern

Silken Fungus Beetle

A tiny beetle found inside puffball fungi and in moldy grain stores. Covered in fine silky hairs. Part of a poorly-known beetle family that feeds on fungal spores and molds.

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Did You Know?

So tiny and hidden inside puffball fungi that it is almost never seen despite being common.

Four-toothed Mason Wasp

A solitary black and white mason wasp that nests in hollow stems and old carpenter bee tunnels. It provisions cells with paralyzed moth caterpillars.

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Did You Know?

It divides its nest tunnel into multiple cells using mud partitions, each containing one egg.