Underground Army Ant vs Red-banded Netelia

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Underground Army Ant Red-banded Netelia
Scientific Name Labidus coecus Netelia testacea
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Formicidae Ichneumonidae
Size 2-7 mm 14-18 mm
Habitat Caves Underground
Diet Omnivores Parasitoids
Regions Southern United States, Central America, South America Europe, Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Underground Army Ant

A mostly subterranean army ant that occasionally surfaces in massive raiding columns across the Americas. Workers are pale yellow, reflecting their underground lifestyle.

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Did You Know?

They are the most frequently encountered army ants in the Americas but are rarely seen because of their subterranean habits.

Red-banded Netelia

A slender orange-brown ichneumonid wasp active at night in summer. It is an ectoparasitoid of noctuid moth caterpillars.

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Did You Know?

Females glue their egg to the host caterpillar's skin so it cannot be dislodged.