Thorn Bug vs Common Eastern Bumble Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Thorn Bug Common Eastern Bumble Bee
Scientific Name Umbonia crassicornis Bombus impatiens
Order Hemiptera Hymenoptera
Family Membracidae Apidae
Size 10-12 mm 8-23 mm
Habitat Underground Underground
Diet Sap Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Central America, South America, North America Eastern North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Thorn Bug

Extraordinary treehopper with a thorn-shaped pronotum that makes it look exactly like a plant thorn when sitting on a branch. Mothers guard eggs and nymphs aggressively.

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Did You Know?

Treehoppers have evolved the most bizarre body shapes of any insect — their enlarged pronotum can mimic thorns, helicopter blades, antlers, and even ant-like forms.

Common Eastern Bumble Bee

A robust fuzzy bumble bee with a black body and yellow thoracic band that is widely used as a commercial greenhouse pollinator. It is the most abundant bumble bee in eastern North America.

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Did You Know?

It can perform buzz pollination by vibrating its flight muscles at a specific frequency to shake pollen from flowers like tomatoes.