Buff-tailed Bumblebee vs German Yellowjacket

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Buff-tailed Bumblebee German Yellowjacket
Scientific Name Bombus terrestris Vespula germanica
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Apidae Vespidae
Size 11-22 mm 12-16 mm
Habitat Farmland Woodlands
Diet Nectar Feeders Fruit Feeders
Regions Europe, Asia, Africa Europe, North America, South America, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Buff-tailed Bumblebee

A large, familiar bumblebee with black fur, a yellow collar, a yellow abdominal band, and a distinctive buff-white tail. It is one of the most important commercial pollinators in Europe.

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Did You Know?

This bumblebee can learn to pull strings to access food and then teach the technique to other bees, demonstrating a form of cultural transmission.

German Yellowjacket

A highly adaptable social wasp that has become one of the most widespread invasive insects globally. They build large enclosed paper nests in wall cavities and roof spaces.

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Did You Know?

Indoor nests in heated buildings can survive winter and grow to enormous sizes containing over a million cells.