Yellow-legged Hornet vs Indian Paper Wasp
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Yellow-legged Hornet | Indian Paper Wasp |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Vespa velutina | Ropalidia marginata |
| Order | Hymenoptera | Hymenoptera |
| Family | Vespidae | Vespidae |
| Size | 20-30 mm | 15-20 mm |
| Habitat | Woodlands | Underground |
| Diet | Predators | Fruit Feeders |
| Regions | East Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe | South Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh) |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Yellow-legged Hornet
An invasive Asian hornet with a dark body and yellow leg tips now spreading rapidly across Europe. It is a major predator of honeybees near hive entrances.
Did You Know?
Since arriving in France in 2004 in a shipment of pottery, it has spread to most of Western Europe.
Indian Paper Wasp
A slender social wasp with a brown and yellow body that constructs small, open-comb nests under eaves and branches. It is one of the best-studied social insects in India, known for its complex queen succession dynamics.
Did You Know?
Queens in this species maintain dominance not through aggression but through pheromones, and succession happens peacefully without fights.