South American Eucalyptus Sawfly vs Dacetine Trap-Jaw Ant

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute South American Eucalyptus Sawfly Dacetine Trap-Jaw Ant
Scientific Name Lophyrotoma zonalis Strumigenys emmae
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Pergidae Formicidae
Size 10-14 mm 1.5-2.5 mm
Habitat Farmland Indoors
Diet Herbivores Detritivores
Regions Australia, invasive in South America Europe, North Africa
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

South American Eucalyptus Sawfly

A dark-bodied pergid sawfly that has become a significant pest of eucalyptus plantations in South America. Larvae are gregarious and can cause severe defoliation.

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Did You Know?

This Australian native became a major pest after eucalyptus was widely planted in South America, far from its natural enemies.

Dacetine Trap-Jaw Ant

A minute trap-jaw ant with elongate mandibles fringed with specialized hairs used to detect and capture tiny soil-dwelling springtails. Workers are slow-moving, cryptic hunters that stalk prey in leaf litter. Their bodies are covered in bizarre spatulate hairs.

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Did You Know?

Their mandible trigger hairs are so sensitive they can detect the vibrations of a springtail walking nearby and snap shut in microseconds.