Tormus Bee vs Braconid Mummy Wasp

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Tormus Bee Braconid Mummy Wasp
Scientific Name Perdita minima Aphidius matricariae
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Andrenidae Braconidae
Size 1.5-2 mm 1.5-2 mm
Habitat Deserts & Drylands Farmland
Diet Nectar Feeders Parasitoids
Regions Southwestern United States Europe, Asia, North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Tormus Bee

The smallest known bee in the world at under 2 mm in length. It is a solitary ground-nesting species found in the southwestern US deserts.

💡

Did You Know?

It is so tiny that it could comfortably fit inside the letter O on a printed page.

Braconid Mummy Wasp

A small parasitoid wasp specializing in green peach aphids and other crop pest aphids. It is commercially reared for biological pest control.

💡

Did You Know?

Females can detect which aphids have already been parasitized and avoid wasting eggs on them.