Iris Sawfly vs Common Yellowjacket
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Iris Sawfly | Common Yellowjacket |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Rhadinoceraea micans | Vespula vulgaris |
| Order | Hymenoptera | Hymenoptera |
| Family | Tenthredinidae | Vespidae |
| Size | 6-8 mm | 12-17 mm |
| Habitat | Ponds & Lakes | Gardens |
| Diet | Herbivores | Predators |
| Regions | Europe | Europe, North America, Australasia |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Not Evaluated |
Iris Sawfly
A small, metallic blue-black sawfly whose grayish larvae with dark heads feed along the edges of iris leaves, producing distinctive notching damage.
Did You Know?
Larvae feed along leaf edges in a perfectly straight line, creating neat rectangular notches that are diagnostic for this species.
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.
Did You Know?
A single colony can consume an estimated 2 kg of insects over a summer, providing significant pest control.