Spangle Gall Wasp vs Panzer's Nomad Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Spangle Gall Wasp Panzer's Nomad Bee
Scientific Name Neuroterus quercusbaccarum Nomada panzeri
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Cynipidae Andrenidae
Size 1.5–2.5 mm 8-10 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Herbivores Predators
Regions Europe Europe
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Spangle Gall Wasp

A tiny gall wasp that produces flat, disc-shaped spangle galls on the undersides of oak leaves. It alternates between two distinct gall forms across generations.

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Did You Know?

A single oak leaf may carry over a hundred spangle galls, yet the tree suffers minimal harm.

Panzer's Nomad Bee

A wasp-mimicking cleptoparasitic bee that targets Andrena mining bee nests. Its bright red, yellow, and black coloring warns predators of its sting.

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Did You Know?

It has lost all pollen-collecting structures because its larvae are fed entirely by stolen provisions from mining bee nests.