Texas Striped Sweat Bee vs Australian Paper Wasp

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Texas Striped Sweat Bee Australian Paper Wasp
Scientific Name Agapostemon texanus Polistes humilis
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Halictidae Vespidae
Size 9-11 mm 15-20 mm
Habitat Grasslands Gardens
Diet Nectar Feeders Predators
Regions North America, Central America Australia, Oceania
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Texas Striped Sweat Bee

A widespread metallic green sweat bee found across much of North America. Males have distinctive black and yellow abdominal stripes contrasting with their green thorax.

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Did You Know?

Males often gather in sleeping clusters on plant stems at dusk, gripping with their mandibles and hanging motionless overnight.

Australian Paper Wasp

A common Australian paper wasp that builds small, open-celled papery nests under eaves, in shrubs, and other sheltered locations. It is a beneficial predator of caterpillars and other garden pests.

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Did You Know?

Paper wasps chew wood fibres mixed with saliva to create their distinctive papery nests, a form of natural paper-making.