Common Yellowjacket vs Pear Slug Sawfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Common Yellowjacket Pear Slug Sawfly
Scientific Name Vespula vulgaris Caliroa cerasi
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Vespidae Tenthredinidae
Size 12-17 mm 4-6 mm (adult)
Habitat Gardens Orchards
Diet Predators Herbivores
Regions Europe, North America, Australasia Worldwide
Conservation Not Evaluated Not Evaluated

Common Yellowjacket

An aggressive social wasp with bold black and yellow markings that builds large underground paper nests. Workers are voracious predators of garden pest insects including caterpillars and flies.

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Did You Know?

A single colony can consume an estimated 2 kg of insects over a summer, providing significant pest control.

Pear Slug Sawfly

A cosmopolitan sawfly whose slimy, slug-like larvae skeletonize leaves of cherry, pear, and plum. Heavy infestations cause premature leaf drop.

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Did You Know?

Larvae cover themselves in a dark, slimy secretion that makes them look like tiny slugs.