Lesser Banded Hornet vs Spine-waisted Ant

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Lesser Banded Hornet Spine-waisted Ant
Scientific Name Vespa affinis Aphaenogaster tennesseensis
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Vespidae Formicidae
Size 22-30 mm 4-5 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Sap Feeders Seed Feeders
Regions South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia Eastern North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Lesser Banded Hornet

A medium-sized hornet with a dark body and bright orange-yellow abdominal bands. It builds large aerial nests in trees and on buildings throughout tropical Asia.

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Did You Know?

Its aerial nests can grow to the size of a basketball and house several thousand workers.

Spine-waisted Ant

A slender reddish-brown ant common in eastern North American deciduous forests. It is an important seed disperser, carrying seeds with nutritious elaiosomes back to its nest.

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Did You Know?

They are responsible for dispersing seeds of many spring wildflowers including trilliums, violets, and bloodroot.