Yellow-faced Bee vs African Blister Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Yellow-faced Bee African Blister Beetle
Scientific Name Hylaeus communis Mylabris oculata
Order Hymenoptera Coleoptera
Family Colletidae Meloidae
Size 5-7 mm 15-30 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Pollen Feeders Parasitoids
Regions Europe East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Yellow-faced Bee

A tiny, nearly hairless black bee with distinctive yellow facial markings. It swallows pollen and carries it internally in its crop.

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Did You Know?

Unlike most bees, it carries pollen internally in its stomach rather than on external body hairs.

African Blister Beetle

A conspicuous beetle with orange-red and black banded elytra. It contains cantharidin, a potent toxin that can cause severe skin blistering on contact.

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Did You Know?

Its cantharidin is so toxic that even a small amount can kill a horse if ingested with contaminated hay or alfalfa.