Yellow-legged Hornet vs Red Dwarf Honey Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Yellow-legged Hornet Red Dwarf Honey Bee
Scientific Name Vespa velutina Apis florea
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Vespidae Apidae
Size 20-30 mm 7-10 mm
Habitat Woodlands Heathland
Diet Predators Nectar Feeders
Regions East Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe South Asia, Southeast Asia, Middle East
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.

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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.

Red Dwarf Honey Bee

The smallest honey bee species, building single exposed combs hanging from tree branches. They are important wild pollinators across tropical Asia.

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Did You Know?

They communicate food locations using a waggle dance performed on the flat top surface of their single open comb.