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Plant Industry

Yellow Legged Hornet Look-alikes

Overview

A Quick Guide to the Morphological Features of Some Native and Invasive Wasps, Hornets and Bees in South Carolina

Size is not to scale and not good for comparison. Northern giant hornet (Asian giant hornet) and yellow-legged hornet are currently NOT found in South Carolina.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Dr. Michael Ferro of Clemson University Arthropod Collection for providing the specimens.

All photos (except stated otherwise) are taken by Predeesh Chandran, Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic, Department of Plant Industry, Clemson University.

Eastern Cicada Killer Wasp, Sphecius speciosus

Size ≈ 1.5 - 2.2 inches

Eastern Cicada Killer Wasp dorsal

Eastern Cicada Killer Wasp lateral

Northern Giant Hornet (Asian Giant Hornet), Vespa mandarinia

Size ≈ 1.5 - 2 inches

Northern Giant Hornet lateral

© Hanna Royals, USDA APHIS PPQ

Northern Giant Hornet lateral

© Washington State Department of Agriculture

Yellow-legged Hornet, Vespa velutina

Size ≈ 0.7 - 1 inch

Yellow-legged Hornet dorsal

© Oliver Keller and Krystal Ashman, University of Florida

Yellow-legged Hornet lateral

© Oliver Keller and Krystal Ashman, University of Florida

European Hornet, Vespa crabro

Size ≈ 1 - 1.3 inches

European Hornet dorsal

European Hornet lateral

Carpenter Bee, Xylocopa virginica

Size ≈ 0.5 - 1 inch

Carpenter Bee dorsal

Carpenter Bee lateral

Bumblebee, Bombus spp.

Size ≈ 0.4 - 1 inches

Bumblebee dorsal

Bumblebee lateral

European Honey Bee, Apis mellifera

Size ≈ 0.3 - 0.7 inches

European Honey Bee dorsal

European Honey Bee lateral

Southern Yellowjacket, Vespula squamosa

Size ≈ 0.4 - 0.7 inches

Southern Yellowjacket dorsal

Southern Yellowjacket lateral

Southern Yellowjacket Queen, Vespula squamosa

Size ≈ 0.4 -0.8 inches

Southern Yellowjacket Queen Dorsal

Southern Yellowjacket Queen lateral

Bald-faced Hornet, Dolichovespula maculata

Size ≈ 0.4 - 0.7 inches

bald-faced hornet dorsal

bald-faced hornet lateral

Red Paper Wasp, Polistes carolina

Size ≈ 0.4 - 0.8 inches

Red Paper Wasp dorsal

Red Paper Wasp lateral

Mason Wasp, Pseudodynerus quadrisectus

Size ≈ 0.4 - 0.7 inches

Mason Wasp dorsal

Mason Wasp lateral

Thread-Waisted Wasp, Ammophila spp.

Size ≈ 1 inch

Thread-Waisted Wasp dorsal

Thread-Waisted Wasp lateral

Smoky Winged Beetle Bandit, Cerceris fumipennis

Size ≈ 0.4 - 0.7 inches

Smoky Winged Beetle Bandit dorsal

Smoky Winged Beetle Bandit lateral

Scoliid Wasp, Campsomeris plumipes

Size ≈ 0.4 - 0.7 inches

Scoliid Wasp dorsal

Scoliid Wasp lateral

Pigeon Tremex Wasp, Tremex columba

Size ≈ 1.5 inches

Pigeon Tremex Wasp dorsal

Pigeon Tremex Wasp lateral