Spine-waisted Ant vs Broad Wood Cockroach

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Spine-waisted Ant Broad Wood Cockroach
Scientific Name Aphaenogaster tennesseensis Parcoblatta lata
Order Hymenoptera Blattodea
Family Formicidae Ectobiidae
Size 4-5 mm 13-18 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Seed Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions Eastern North America Southeastern United States
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Spine-waisted Ant

A slender reddish-brown ant common in eastern North American deciduous forests. It is an important seed disperser, carrying seeds with nutritious elaiosomes back to its nest.

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Did You Know?

They are responsible for dispersing seeds of many spring wildflowers including trilliums, violets, and bloodroot.

Broad Wood Cockroach

A distinctive flat, broadly shaped wood cockroach from the southeastern United States. Females have a wider body than most Parcoblatta species.

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Did You Know?

Its unusually broad and flat body shape allows it to squeeze into extremely narrow crevices under bark.