Black Slip Wasp vs Small Carpenter Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Black Slip Wasp Small Carpenter Bee
Scientific Name Pimpla instigator Ceratina calcarata
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Ichneumonidae Apidae
Size 12-16 mm 5–8 mm
Habitat Underground Underground
Diet Parasitoids Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe, Asia Eastern North America
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Black Slip Wasp

A medium-sized black ichneumon wasp that parasitizes butterfly and moth pupae. Uses its ovipositor to penetrate through cocoons. A common and widespread species.

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Did You Know?

Can drill its ovipositor through tough pupal cases and silk cocoons to reach the developing insect inside.

Small Carpenter Bee

A tiny metallic blue-green bee that nests in the pithy stems of broken twigs. It is one of the few bee species showing rudimentary social behavior.

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Did You Know?

Mothers guard their nests and feed their developing larvae with pollen, a behavior rare among solitary bees.