Bald-faced Hornet vs Hercules Flower Beetle
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Bald-faced Hornet | Hercules Flower Beetle |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Dolichovespula maculata | Mecynorrhina harrisi |
| Order | Hymenoptera | Coleoptera |
| Family | Vespidae | Scarabaeidae |
| Size | 15-20 mm | 40-65 mm |
| Habitat | Woodlands | Forests |
| Diet | Fruit Feeders | Fruit Feeders |
| Regions | North America | Central Africa (DRC, Congo, Cameroon) |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Bald-faced Hornet
A large black and white social wasp that builds impressive football-sized paper nests in trees and on buildings. Despite its name, it is not a true hornet but a yellowjacket relative.
Did You Know?
Bald-faced hornets can squirt venom from their stinger into the eyes of nest intruders, causing temporary blindness and intense pain.
Hercules Flower Beetle
A large cetoniine beetle with dark greenish-black coloration and yellow markings on the pronotum. Males possess a forked horn used in combat. It is found in tropical forest canopy where it feeds on fruit and sap.
Did You Know?
During mating season, males will fight for hours on a branch, each trying to pry the other off using their forked horns.