Golden Paper Wasp vs North American Horntail

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Golden Paper Wasp North American Horntail
Scientific Name Polistes fuscatus Tremex columba
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Vespidae Siricidae
Size 15-21 mm 25–50 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Fruit Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions Eastern North America Eastern North America
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Golden Paper Wasp

A social wasp with highly variable facial markings used for individual recognition. It builds open paper nests under eaves and in sheltered spots.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the few invertebrates scientifically proven to recognize individual faces.

North American Horntail

A large horntail wasp found across eastern North America. It attacks dead and dying hardwood trees such as beech, maple, and elm.

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Did You Know?

The parasitoid wasp Megarhyssa macrurus uses its extremely long ovipositor to reach horntail larvae deep inside wood.