Tawny Mining Bee vs Spangle Gall Wasp

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Tawny Mining Bee Spangle Gall Wasp
Scientific Name Andrena fulva Neuroterus quercusbaccarum
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Andrenidae Cynipidae
Size 8-14 mm 1.5–2.5 mm
Habitat Gardens Woodlands
Diet Fruit Feeders Herbivores
Regions Europe Europe
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Tawny Mining Bee

A solitary bee covered in dense bright orange-brown fur that gives it a foxy appearance. Females excavate individual nest burrows in lawns and garden paths each spring.

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Did You Know?

Each female digs her own nest burrow up to 30 centimeters deep and provisions several underground chambers with pollen balls, each topped with a single egg.

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.