Wool Carder Bee vs Asian Mud Dauber
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Wool Carder Bee | Asian Mud Dauber |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anthidium manicatum | Sceliphron curvatum |
| Order | Hymenoptera | Hymenoptera |
| Family | Megachilidae | Sphecidae |
| Size | 10-17 mm | 15-25 mm |
| Habitat | Underground | Underground |
| Diet | Nectar Feeders | Nectar Feeders |
| Regions | Western Europe, Central Europe, Southern Europe | Central Asia, Europe |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Wool Carder Bee
A robust yellow-and-black solitary bee whose females scrape plant hairs to line their nests. Males are territorial and aggressively patrol flower patches, even attacking bumblebees.
Did You Know?
Males have five sharp spines on their abdomen that they use to body-slam intruding bees.
Asian Mud Dauber
A dark-bodied mud dauber originally from Central Asia now invasive across Europe. It builds mud nests inside buildings and provisions them with spiders.
Did You Know?
It spread from its native range in India and Central Asia to colonize most of southern and central Europe within just 30 years.