Slender Ant vs Painted Mining Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Slender Ant Painted Mining Bee
Scientific Name Myrmica scabrinodis Andrena fucata
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Formicidae Andrenidae
Size 3.5-5 mm 10-13 mm
Habitat Grasslands Woodlands
Diet Seed Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe, Western Asia Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

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.

Painted Mining Bee

A handsome spring bee with a red-brown thorax and banded abdomen. It is common in woodland clearings and gardens across Europe.

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Did You Know?

It is a favourite host of the cuckoo bee Nomada flava, which lays eggs in its nest burrows.