Yellow-legged Hornet vs Large Oak Cynipid

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Yellow-legged Hornet Large Oak Cynipid
Scientific Name Vespa velutina Cynips quercusfolii
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Vespidae Cynipidae
Size 20-30 mm 2.5–4 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Predators Herbivores
Regions East Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe Europe
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

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.

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Did You Know?

Since arriving in France in 2004 in a shipment of pottery, it has spread to most of Western Europe.

Large Oak Cynipid

A gall wasp that induces cherry-sized galls on the undersides of oak leaves. The galls turn from green to red as they mature in autumn.

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Did You Know?

The colorful galls were historically known as 'oak cherries' and were sometimes mistaken for real fruit by children.