Blackthorn Mining Bee vs Common Damselbug

Andrena varians compared with Nabis rugosus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Blackthorn Mining Bee	Common Damselbug
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees & Wasps)	Hemiptera (Hemiptera)
Family	Andrenidae	Nabidae
Genus	Andrena	Nabis
Species	Andrena varians	Nabis rugosus

Evolutionary Relationship

Blackthorn Mining Bee and Common Damselbug share a common ancestor at the Class level: Insecta. (Insects)

Conservation Status

Blackthorn Mining Bee

LC — Least Concern

Common Damselbug

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Blackthorn Mining Bee	Common Damselbug
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Blackthorn Mining Bee

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden.

Common Damselbug

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Blackthorn Mining Bee

The Blackthorn Mining Bee (Andrena varians) is a species in the genus Andrena. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Distributed across Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden.

Common Damselbug

<em>Nabis rugosus</em>, the common damselbug, is a predatory true bug in the family Nabidae. This species is distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, typically inhabiting a broad range of terrestrial and freshwater environments including grasslands, agricultural fields, hedgerows, and the margins of wetlands. The common damselbug is a generalist predator, often feeding on small arthropods such as aphids, caterpillars, and other soft-bodied invertebrates. It uses its raptorial forelegs to capture prey and possesses piercing mouthparts for consuming body fluids. <em>Nabis rugosus</em> is typically slender and brownish in coloration, offering effective camouflage among grasses and vegetation. The species completes multiple generations per year in suitable climates and is considered an important natural control agent in agricultural settings. Its conservation status is assessed as Least Concern, reflecting stable populations across its European range. Beyond these documented traits, additional biological characteristics of this species are not extensively detailed in the available scientific literature.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden