German Yellowjacket vs Arctic Ant

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute German Yellowjacket Arctic Ant
Scientific Name Vespula germanica Leptothorax acervorum
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Vespidae Formicidae
Size 12-16 mm 2-4 mm
Habitat Woodlands Forests
Diet Fruit Feeders Scavengers
Regions Europe, North America, South America, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa Scandinavia, Finland, northern Russia, subarctic Canada, Alaska
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

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.

Arctic Ant

A tiny, reddish-brown ant that forms small colonies under stones and in wood crevices in boreal and subarctic regions. Colonies are small, often containing fewer than 100 workers. It is one of the most cold-tolerant ant species.

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Did You Know?

This ant can survive being frozen at temperatures down to minus 20 degrees Celsius by producing glycerol as a natural antifreeze.