Sordid Dung Beetle vs Sweat Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Sordid Dung Beetle Sweat Bee
Scientific Name Aphodius sordidus Halictus ligatus
Order Coleoptera Hymenoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Halictidae
Size 4-7 mm 7-11 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Dung Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Cosmopolitan North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Sordid Dung Beetle

A small, dark brown to black dweller dung beetle with yellowish-brown elytral margins. It is a cosmopolitan species found in agricultural habitats worldwide. Adults and larvae both feed within dung pats.

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Did You Know?

This species has hitchhiked with livestock trade across every continent except Antarctica.

Sweat Bee

A small, dark metallic bee that is attracted to human perspiration for its salt content. It exhibits variable social behavior ranging from solitary to primitively eusocial nesting.

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Did You Know?

Sweat bees are among the most important wild pollinators of crops, and some species can switch between solitary and social living depending on environmental conditions.