Lesser Banded Hornet vs Two-coloured Mason Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Lesser Banded Hornet Two-coloured Mason Bee
Scientific Name Vespa affinis Osmia bicolor
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Vespidae Megachilidae
Size 22-30 mm 8-11 mm
Habitat Woodlands Grasslands
Diet Sap Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia Europe
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.

Two-coloured Mason Bee

A distinctive bee with a black head and thorax and bright orange abdominal hair. It uniquely nests inside empty snail shells on chalk grasslands.

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Did You Know?

After filling a snail shell with pollen and eggs, the female camouflages it by piling grass and plant stems over it.