Black Jungle Queen vs European Hornet

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Black Jungle Queen European Hornet
Scientific Name Stichophthalma howqua Vespa crabro
Order Lepidoptera Hymenoptera
Family Nymphalidae Vespidae
Size 100-130 mm wingspan 25-35 mm
Habitat Forests Orchards
Diet Sap Feeders Sap Feeders
Regions Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand) and southern China Europe, Asia, North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Black Jungle Queen

A large, powerful butterfly with dark brown to black upper wings and elaborately patterned undersides featuring ocelli and intricate brown and cream marbling. It flies in the early morning.

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Did You Know?

It is crepuscular, flying only during dawn and dusk, and spends the heat of the day resting motionless in the dark forest understory.

European Hornet

The largest European wasp, with a brown and yellow striped body and reddish-brown head and thorax. Despite its fearsome appearance, it is relatively docile for a social wasp.

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Did You Know?

European hornets are one of the few wasp species that actively hunt at night, attracted to lights where they capture other insects.