Australian Paper Wasp vs European Pine Sawfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Australian Paper Wasp European Pine Sawfly
Scientific Name Polistes humilis Neodiprion sertifer
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Vespidae Diprionidae
Size 15-20 mm 7-10 mm (adult)
Habitat Gardens Farmland
Diet Predators Herbivores
Regions Australia, Oceania Europe, North America
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Australian Paper Wasp

A common Australian paper wasp that builds small, open-celled papery nests under eaves, in shrubs, and other sheltered locations. It is a beneficial predator of caterpillars and other garden pests.

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Did You Know?

Paper wasps chew wood fibres mixed with saliva to create their distinctive papery nests, a form of natural paper-making.

European Pine Sawfly

A common defoliator of pines in Europe and an invasive pest in North America. Larvae feed gregariously on older needles of various pine species.

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Did You Know?

A nuclear polyhedrosis virus naturally controls its populations and is used as a biopesticide.