Winter Ant vs Jewel Wasp Pteromalid

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Winter Ant Jewel Wasp Pteromalid
Scientific Name Prenolepis imparis Nasonia vitripennis
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Formicidae Pteromalidae
Size 3-4 mm 1-2.5 mm
Habitat Woodlands Farmland
Diet Nectar Feeders Parasitoids
Regions North America Worldwide
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Winter Ant

A small brown ant unique for being most active during cold months when other ants are dormant. Replete workers store liquid food in distended abdomens for the colony.

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Did You Know?

They hold their nuptial flights in late winter or early spring, sometimes walking over snow to mate.

Jewel Wasp Pteromalid

A tiny jewel wasp that parasitizes the pupae of blowflies, flesh flies, and house flies. It is one of the most important model organisms in parasitoid biology and genetics.

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Did You Know?

It has become a genetic model organism rivaling Drosophila, with its entire genome sequenced to study parasitism evolution.