Willoughby's Leafcutter Bee vs Spangle Gall Wasp

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Willoughby's Leafcutter Bee Spangle Gall Wasp
Scientific Name Megachile willughbiella Neuroterus quercusbaccarum
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Megachilidae Cynipidae
Size 12-16 mm 1.5–2.5 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Nectar Feeders Herbivores
Regions Europe, Central Asia Europe
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Willoughby's Leafcutter Bee

A large, furry leafcutter bee common across Europe that nests in a variety of above-ground cavities. It is named after the 17th-century English naturalist Francis Willughby.

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Did You Know?

Females have been recorded cutting leaf pieces from over 20 different plant species to construct a single nest.

Spangle Gall Wasp

A tiny gall wasp that produces flat, disc-shaped spangle galls on the undersides of oak leaves. It alternates between two distinct gall forms across generations.

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Did You Know?

A single oak leaf may carry over a hundred spangle galls, yet the tree suffers minimal harm.