Two-coloured Mason Bee vs Two-lined Spittlebug

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Two-coloured Mason Bee Two-lined Spittlebug
Scientific Name Osmia bicolor Prosapia bicincta
Order Hymenoptera Hemiptera
Family Megachilidae Cercopidae
Size 8-11 mm 8-10 mm
Habitat Grasslands Grasslands
Diet Nectar Feeders Sap Feeders
Regions Europe Eastern and Southern North America, Central America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Two-coloured Mason Bee

A distinctive bee with a black head and thorax and bright orange abdominal hair. It uniquely nests inside empty snail shells on chalk grasslands.

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Did You Know?

After filling a snail shell with pollen and eggs, the female camouflages it by piling grass and plant stems over it.

Two-lined Spittlebug

A black spittlebug with two vivid red-orange transverse bands across its wings, common in turf grasses across the southeastern United States. Large populations can cause significant damage to lawns and pastures.

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Did You Know?

Infested lawns develop a distinctive purple-striped discoloration from the toxins injected during feeding.