St Mark's Fly vs Small Carpenter Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute St Mark's Fly Small Carpenter Bee
Scientific Name Bibio johannis Ceratina calcarata
Order Diptera Hymenoptera
Family Bibionidae Apidae
Size 6-10mm 5–8 mm
Habitat Underground Underground
Diet Root Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe Eastern North America
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

St Mark's Fly

A small black fly that swarms in May. Males have large heads with huge eyes that almost meet on top.

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Did You Know?

Often confused with the larger Bibio marci but emerges slightly later and has entirely dark legs.

Small Carpenter Bee

A tiny metallic blue-green bee that nests in the pithy stems of broken twigs. It is one of the few bee species showing rudimentary social behavior.

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Did You Know?

Mothers guard their nests and feed their developing larvae with pollen, a behavior rare among solitary bees.