Buff-tailed Mining Bee vs Cola-Nut Gall

Andrena humilis compared with Andricus lignicolus

Key Differences

• Buff-tailed Mining Bee is Extinct while Cola-Nut Gall is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Buff-tailed Mining Bee	Cola-Nut Gall
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order same	Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees & Wasps)	Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees & Wasps)
Family	Andrenidae	Cynipidae
Genus	Andrena	Andricus
Species	Andrena humilis	Andricus lignicolus

Evolutionary Relationship

Buff-tailed Mining Bee and Cola-Nut Gall share a common ancestor at the Order level: Hymenoptera. (Ants, Bees & Wasps)

Conservation Status

Buff-tailed Mining Bee

EX — Extinct

Cola-Nut Gall

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Buff-tailed Mining Bee	Cola-Nut Gall
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Buff-tailed Mining Bee

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden.

Cola-Nut Gall

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries).

Buff-tailed Mining Bee

The Buff-Tailed Mining Bee (Andrena humilis) is a species in the genus Andrena. It is currently classified as Extinct on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Cola-Nut Gall

<em>Andricus lignicolus</em> is a gall wasp in the family Cynipidae. The name "Cola-Nut Gall" refers to the gall structure this species induces on oak trees, rather than a conventional common name for the organism itself. <em>Andricus lignicolus</em> has been recorded across parts of western and northern Europe, including Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, and the Netherlands. The species occupies a broad range of terrestrial and freshwater habitats within its range, reflecting the wide distribution of its host oak trees. Gall wasps in the genus <em>Andricus</em> have complex life cycles often involving alternating sexual and asexual generations, with different generations producing distinct gall morphologies on the same or different oak species. The species has not been assessed under the IUCN Red List. Diet data and specific biological measurements for <em>Andricus lignicolus</em> are not documented in available sources. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature. Its ecological role is tied to its host plants, and like other cynipid gall wasps, it likely hosts a variety of inquiline and parasitoid insects within its galls.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark