Slender Ant vs Black Cutworm

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Slender Ant Black Cutworm
Scientific Name Myrmica scabrinodis Agrotis ipsilon
Order Hymenoptera Lepidoptera
Family Formicidae Noctuidae
Size 3.5-5 mm 40-55 mm wingspan
Habitat Grasslands Indoors
Diet Seed Feeders Seed Feeders
Regions Europe, Western Asia Worldwide
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Slender Ant

A medium-sized red-brown ant with coarsely sculptured cuticle, common in grasslands across Europe. Colonies are typically monogynous with a single queen. Workers forage close to the nest in tussock grass.

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Did You Know?

This species is an important host for the Dusky Large Blue butterfly in wetland habitats across Europe.

Black Cutworm

A dull brown moth whose soil-dwelling caterpillars sever young seedlings at ground level during the night. It is a cosmopolitan pest that migrates long distances.

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Did You Know?

Cutworm caterpillars curl into a C-shape when disturbed, a diagnostic behavior for identifying them in soil.