Eastern Yellowjacket vs Corsican Seed-Harvesting Ant
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Eastern Yellowjacket | Corsican Seed-Harvesting Ant |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Vespula maculifrons | Messor wasmanni |
| Order | Hymenoptera | Hymenoptera |
| Family | Vespidae | Formicidae |
| Size | 12-16 mm | 4-11 mm |
| Habitat | Woodlands | Heathland |
| Diet | Carrion Feeders | Seed Feeders |
| Regions | Eastern North America from Canada to the Gulf states | Western Mediterranean (Spain, France, Corsica, North Africa) |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Eastern Yellowjacket
A common ground-nesting yellowjacket with bold black and yellow banding on its abdomen. It builds large paper nests underground that can contain thousands of workers.
Did You Know?
Its underground nests can grow to the size of a basketball and contain over 4,000 workers by late summer.
Corsican Seed-Harvesting Ant
A large dark harvester ant found in the western Mediterranean region. Major workers have broad heads for seed processing. Colonies build extensive granaries deep underground for storing seeds through the hot dry summer.
Did You Know?
They sun-dry moistened seeds at the nest entrance on warm days to prevent germination and fungal growth in their underground granaries.