Small Scissor Bee vs Steelblue Ichneumon
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Small Scissor Bee | Steelblue Ichneumon |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chelostoma florisomne | Lissopimpla excelsa |
| Order | Hymenoptera | Hymenoptera |
| Family | Megachilidae | Ichneumonidae |
| Size | 7-10 mm | 12-18 mm |
| Habitat | Woodlands | Orchards |
| Diet | Wood Feeders | Parasitoids |
| Regions | Europe | Australia, New Zealand |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Small Scissor Bee
A slender black solitary bee that nests in beetle borings in dead wood. It is a specialist pollinator of buttercups.
Did You Know?
Males often sleep inside buttercup flowers at night, clinging to the petals as they close.
Steelblue Ichneumon
A metallic blue-black ichneumon wasp native to Australia. It is an important parasitoid of pest caterpillars including the introduced cabbage moth.
Did You Know?
It was deliberately introduced to New Zealand to help control pest moth populations in agriculture.