Spine-waisted Ant vs Roesel's Bush-cricket

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Spine-waisted Ant Roesel's Bush-cricket
Scientific Name Aphaenogaster tennesseensis Roeseliana roeselii
Order Hymenoptera Orthoptera
Family Formicidae Tettigoniidae
Size 4-5 mm 14-20mm
Habitat Woodlands Farmland
Diet Seed Feeders Seed Feeders
Regions Eastern North America Europe, Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

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.

Roesel's Bush-cricket

A stocky bush-cricket with a distinctive pale border along the pronotum. Its song is a continuous high-pitched buzz. Macropterous forms with full wings appear in hot summers and can fly.

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Did You Know?

In hot summers, a winged form appears that can fly and colonize new habitats, driving rapid range expansion.