Kaempfer Cicada vs European Hornet

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Kaempfer Cicada European Hornet
Scientific Name Platypleura kaempferi Vespa crabro
Order Hemiptera Hymenoptera
Family Cicadidae Vespidae
Size 22-28 mm 25-35 mm
Habitat Underground Orchards
Diet Sap Feeders Sap Feeders
Regions Japan, Korea, Eastern China Europe, Asia, North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Kaempfer Cicada

A small cicada with cryptic bark-like coloration and a distinctive rattling call. It is named after the German naturalist Engelbert Kaempfer who studied Japanese natural history.

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Did You Know?

Known as 'niiniizemi' in Japan, it is one of the first cicadas to begin calling in early summer, heralding the start of the cicada season.

European Hornet

The largest European wasp, with a brown and yellow striped body and reddish-brown head and thorax. Despite its fearsome appearance, it is relatively docile for a social wasp.

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Did You Know?

European hornets are one of the few wasp species that actively hunt at night, attracted to lights where they capture other insects.