Tropical Carpenter Bee vs Narrow-headed Ant

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Tropical Carpenter Bee Narrow-headed Ant
Scientific Name Xylocopa latipes Formica exsecta
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Apidae Formicidae
Size 25-35 mm 4-7 mm
Habitat Underground Heathland
Diet Wood Feeders Omnivores
Regions South Asia, Southeast Asia Europe, Northern Asia
Conservation Not Evaluated Near Threatened

Tropical Carpenter Bee

One of the largest bee species in Asia with jet-black coloring and broad wings. They produce a loud buzzing flight sound and bore into bamboo and dead timber.

💡

Did You Know?

Their enormous size and loud buzz often cause alarm, but they are generally docile and rarely sting.

Narrow-headed Ant

A bicolored red and black wood ant with a distinctly notched head. It builds low thatched mounds in open heathland and is declining across much of its European range.

💡

Did You Know?

In the UK it is one of the rarest ant species and is legally protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.