Asian Giant Hornet vs Black-Headed Ash Sawfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Asian Giant Hornet Black-Headed Ash Sawfly
Scientific Name Vespa mandarinia Tethida barda
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Vespidae Tenthredinidae
Size 45-55 mm 6-8 mm
Habitat Forests Forests
Diet Blood Feeders Herbivores
Regions Asia Eastern North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Asian Giant Hornet

The worlds largest hornet. A single colony can kill an entire hive of 30,000 honey bees in just a few hours. Their venom destroys red blood cells and can cause organ failure.

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Did You Know?

Asian giant hornets can decapitate 40 honey bees per minute. Japanese honey bees defend themselves by swarming a hornet and vibrating to raise temperature to 47°C — killing it with heat.

Black-Headed Ash Sawfly

A small sawfly whose larvae have distinctive black heads and whitish-green bodies. They feed on the underside of ash leaflets, skeletonizing them.

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Did You Know?

This species is often mistaken for moth caterpillars, but like all sawfly larvae, it has more than five pairs of prolegs on its abdomen.