White-spotted Ichneumon vs Painted Dark Sweat Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute White-spotted Ichneumon Painted Dark Sweat Bee
Scientific Name Compsocryptus texensis Lasioglossum pictum
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Ichneumonidae Halictidae
Size 10-18 mm 6-7 mm
Habitat Heathland Beaches & Coastal
Diet Omnivores Nectar Feeders
Regions Southern United States, Mexico Western Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

White-spotted Ichneumon

A medium black ichneumon wasp with conspicuous white spots on the thorax and legs. It parasitizes spider egg sacs and caterpillars.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the few ichneumon wasps adapted to the hot, dry conditions of the American Southwest.

Painted Dark Sweat Bee

A small dark furrow bee with fine punctation on its thorax found in western Europe. It nests in sparsely vegetated ground and visits a range of open flowers.

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Did You Know?

It is so small and nondescript that it can only be reliably identified from other Lasioglossum species under a microscope.