Great Yellow Bumblebee vs European Red Wood Ant

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Great Yellow Bumblebee European Red Wood Ant
Scientific Name Bombus distinguendus Formica rufa
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Apidae Formicidae
Size 15-22mm 4-9 mm
Habitat Beaches & Coastal Forests
Diet Herbivores Sap Feeders
Regions Europe Europe, Western Asia
Conservation Near Threatened Near Threatened

Great Yellow Bumblebee

A large strikingly yellow bumblebee with a band of darker hair. One of the rarest bumblebees in Britain.

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Did You Know?

Now restricted to a few Scottish islands and the far north coast, having disappeared from 80 percent of its range.

European Red Wood Ant

A large mound-building ant found across European forests. Workers are reddish-brown with a darker abdomen and aggressively spray formic acid when threatened.

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Did You Know?

A single wood ant colony can consume millions of pest insects per season, making them vital forest protectors.