Tropical Dustywing vs Common Yellowjacket

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Tropical Dustywing Common Yellowjacket
Scientific Name Heteroconis picticornis Vespula vulgaris
Order Neuroptera Hymenoptera
Family Coniopterygidae Vespidae
Size 4-6 mm wingspan 12-17 mm
Habitat Farmland Gardens
Diet Predators Predators
Regions Tropical Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia Europe, North America, Australasia
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Tropical Dustywing

A tropical dustywing with banded antennae found in Asian and African lowland habitats. One of the larger species in the family.

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Did You Know?

Its distinctively banded antennae make it one of the few dustywings identifiable without a microscope.

Common Yellowjacket

An aggressive social wasp with bold black and yellow markings that builds large underground paper nests. Workers are voracious predators of garden pest insects including caterpillars and flies.

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Did You Know?

A single colony can consume an estimated 2 kg of insects over a summer, providing significant pest control.