Viper's Bugloss Mining Bee vs Pacific Seashore Rove Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Viper's Bugloss Mining Bee Pacific Seashore Rove Beetle
Scientific Name Andrena nasuta Cafius canescens
Order Hymenoptera Coleoptera
Family Andrenidae Staphylinidae
Size 11-13 mm 5-7 mm
Habitat Beaches & Coastal Beaches & Coastal
Diet Pollen Feeders Predators
Regions Europe Pacific coast of North America, Hawaii
Conservation Near Threatened Least Concern

Viper's Bugloss Mining Bee

A specialist mining bee with an elongated face adapted for feeding on tubular flowers, particularly viper's bugloss. It is found primarily in coastal and sandy habitats.

💡

Did You Know?

Its elongated face and tongue are so specialized for viper's bugloss flowers that it struggles to feed from most other flower shapes.

Pacific Seashore Rove Beetle

A small, grayish-pubescent rove beetle found along the Pacific coast of the Americas under kelp and seaweed deposits. It is an important predator of seaweed fly larvae on beaches.

💡

Did You Know?

This species has colonized the remote Hawaiian Islands, likely arriving on floating mats of kelp and seaweed across the Pacific Ocean.