Gemeine Kugelschnecke vs Common Yellow-face Bee

Akera bullata compared with Hylaeus communis

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Gemeine Kugelschnecke	Common Yellow-face Bee
Kingdom same	Animalia (Tier)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum	Mollusca (Weichtiere)	Arthropoda (Gliederfüßer)
Class	Gastropoda (Schnecken)	Insecta (Insekten)
Order	Aplysiida (Aplysiida)	Hymenoptera (Hautflügler)
Family	Akeridae	Colletidae
Genus	Akera	Hylaeus
Species	Akera bullata	Hylaeus communis

Evolutionary Relationship

Gemeine Kugelschnecke and Common Yellow-face Bee share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Tier)

Conservation Status

Gemeine Kugelschnecke

LC — Least Concern

Common Yellow-face Bee

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Gemeine Kugelschnecke	Common Yellow-face Bee
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Gemeine Kugelschnecke

Habitat

Typically found in terrestrial and aquatic habitats including forests and freshwater.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden.

Common Yellow-face Bee

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

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

Gemeine Kugelschnecke

The common bubble snail (<em>Akera bullata</em>) is a marine gastropod mollusc found in the coastal waters of Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden. This species typically inhabits terrestrial and aquatic environments including forests and freshwater-adjacent marine areas, often occurring in shallow subtidal and intertidal zones of temperate European seas. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. As a member of the family Akeridae, the common bubble snail is characterized by its thin, fragile shell and its ability to swim briefly by flapping its large, wing-like parapodia. The species often forages on algae and detritus in sandy and muddy seafloor habitats, particularly in sheltered bays and estuaries. The common bubble snail typically aggregates in large numbers during the spawning season, producing gelatinous egg masses. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Common Yellow-face Bee

<em>Hylaeus communis</em>, the common yellow-face bee, is a small solitary bee in the family Colletidae. It is widely distributed across much of Europe and western Asia, where it is one of the most frequently encountered members of its genus. The species inhabits a broad range of open and semi-open habitats including gardens, meadows, hedgerows, heathlands, and woodland edges, often nesting in existing cavities such as hollow plant stems, galls, and old beetle burrows. Adults are small, typically 6–8 mm in length, and are characterized by yellow facial markings on an otherwise black body, the pattern being more extensive in males than females. Biological traits such as average lifespan, precise body weight, and detailed population estimates remain poorly documented in the scientific literature. Unlike many bees, <em>Hylaeus</em> species lack specialized pollen-carrying structures; instead, they transport pollen and nectar internally in their crop. Adults visit a wide variety of flowers for food and are considered polylectic generalists. <em>Hylaeus communis</em> is assessed as Least Concern, reflecting its broad distribution and tolerance of diverse habitats, though it may be affected by loss of nesting sites and floral diversity in intensively managed landscapes.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden