Wasp Nest Beetle vs Pennant Ant

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Wasp Nest Beetle Pennant Ant
Scientific Name Metoecus paradoxus Technomyrmex albipes
Order Coleoptera Hymenoptera
Family Ripiphoridae Formicidae
Size 8-12mm 2.5-3 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Parasitoids Fruit Feeders
Regions Europe Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Pacific Islands
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Wasp Nest Beetle

A bizarre wedge-shaped beetle that develops as a parasitoid inside social wasp nests. Males have feathery antennae.

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Did You Know?

One of the most unusual beetles in Europe, spending its entire larval development inside live wasp nests.

Pennant Ant

A small dark ant with conspicuous whitish legs that forms long trailing columns up trees. It is a widespread tramp species found throughout the Old World tropics.

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Did You Know?

They are important dispersal agents for certain epiphytic plants whose seeds they carry to tree crevices.