Wood-carving Leafcutter Bee vs Florida Drywood Termite

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Wood-carving Leafcutter Bee Florida Drywood Termite
Scientific Name Megachile ligniseca Calcaritermes nearcticus
Order Hymenoptera Blattodea
Family Megachilidae Kalotermitidae
Size 13-16 mm Workers 4-5 mm, soldiers 4-6 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Nectar Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions Europe, Western Asia Southeastern United States (Florida, coastal Southeast)
Conservation Near Threatened Not Evaluated

Wood-carving Leafcutter Bee

A large, dark leafcutter bee that nests in rotten wood and dead tree stumps across Europe. Females cut large leaf pieces from roses, birch, and willows.

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Did You Know?

Unlike most leafcutter bees that use pre-existing holes, it chews its own nest cavities directly into soft rotten wood.

Florida Drywood Termite

A small drywood termite native to the southeastern United States. Soldiers have distinctive calcar-like projections on their tibiae.

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Did You Know?

Its tibial spurs (calcars) give the genus its name and are used in defense alongside its mandibles.