Conops Fly vs African Paper Wasp

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Conops Fly African Paper Wasp
Scientific Name Conops flavipes Belonogaster juncea
Order Diptera Hymenoptera
Family Conopidae Vespidae
Size 8-12mm 15-22 mm
Habitat Underground Underground
Diet Parasitoids Predators
Regions Europe Southern Africa, East Africa
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Conops Fly

A wasp-mimicking fly with yellow legs and a narrow waist. Females parasitize adult bumblebees.

💡

Did You Know?

Chases bumblebees in flight and forcefully deposits an egg inside the bee's abdomen during a brief mid-air grapple.

African Paper Wasp

A slender reddish-brown social wasp that builds small open paper nests under eaves and branches. It preys on caterpillars to feed its larvae.

💡

Did You Know?

They are considered beneficial by gardeners because a single colony can destroy hundreds of caterpillar pests per week.