Madeira Longhorn vs Lesser Banded Hornet

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Madeira Longhorn Lesser Banded Hornet
Scientific Name Leptura aurulenta Vespa affinis
Order Coleoptera Hymenoptera
Family Cerambycidae Vespidae
Size 15-26 mm 22-30 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Wood Feeders Sap Feeders
Regions Mediterranean Europe, Atlantic France, Macaronesia South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Madeira Longhorn

A large flower longhorn with rusty-orange elytra and a black head and pronotum. Found in forests around the Mediterranean and Atlantic Europe. Larvae develop over 3-5 years in dead wood of oaks and chestnuts.

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Did You Know?

This species has been found on Madeira Island, giving rise to its common name, though it occurs widely across southern Europe.

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.