Thatching Ant vs Gold-tailed Ruby Wasp
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Thatching Ant | Gold-tailed Ruby Wasp |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Formica obscuripes | Chrysis fulgida |
| Order | Hymenoptera | Hymenoptera |
| Family | Formicidae | Chrysididae |
| Size | 4-8 mm | 7-12 mm |
| Habitat | Meadows | Underground |
| Diet | Seed Feeders | Parasites |
| Regions | Western North America | Central Europe, Southern Europe, Western Europe |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Thatching Ant
A mound-building ant of western North America that constructs large thatched nests from plant debris. Workers are bicolored red and black with powerful mandibles.
Did You Know?
Their mounds can reach over a meter tall and persist for decades, becoming important microhabitats for other organisms.
Gold-tailed Ruby Wasp
A dazzling metallic wasp with a bright green head and thorax and a golden-red abdomen. It is a brood parasite of potter wasps and mason wasps.
Did You Know?
Its armoured exoskeleton is so tough that host wasps cannot sting through it.