Silvery Leafcutter Bee vs Yellow Hornet

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Silvery Leafcutter Bee Yellow Hornet
Scientific Name Megachile leachella Vespa simillima
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Megachilidae Vespidae
Size 9-12 mm 21-28 mm
Habitat Beaches & Coastal Woodlands
Diet Nectar Feeders Fruit Feeders
Regions Europe East Asia, Japan/Korea
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Silvery Leafcutter Bee

A coastal specialist bee with silvery-white hair on the underside of the abdomen. It nests in sandy ground near the coast.

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Did You Know?

It lines its nest cells with cut pieces of petals rather than leaves, unlike most leafcutter bees.

Yellow Hornet

Known as 'ke-buchi-suzumebachi' in Japanese, a common hornet in Japan and Korea. Builds large paper nests in trees and under eaves. Less aggressive than the giant hornet but still capable of painful stings.

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Did You Know?

This species is responsible for more wasp stings in Japan than any other species because it frequently builds nests near human habitations.