Field Digger Wasp vs African Twig Stick Insect

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Field Digger Wasp African Twig Stick Insect
Scientific Name Mellinus arvensis Clonopsis maroccana
Order Hymenoptera Phasmatodea
Family Crabronidae Bacillidae
Size 10-14mm 50-70 mm
Habitat Heathland Heathland
Diet Predators Herbivores
Regions Europe West Africa (Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Field Digger Wasp

A yellow and black wasp that nests in sandy soil and provisions each cell with paralyzed hoverflies.

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Did You Know?

Digs a nest burrow in bare sandy soil and stocks each cell with 5-8 precisely paralyzed hoverflies.

African Twig Stick Insect

A slender stick insect that mimics dry twigs with remarkable accuracy. It reproduces parthenogenetically, with females producing viable eggs without mating. Active at night when it feeds on foliage.

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Did You Know?

This species reproduces entirely without males in most populations, with females cloning themselves through parthenogenesis.