European Hornet - Vespa crabro

Scientific Name: Vespa crabro (Vespidae).


English Name: European Hornet (Social wasps family).


French Name: Le Frélon.

5 Key Characters:

• easily the largest wasp occuring in this area (18 - 35 mm long). 
• chestnut brown and golden yellow with reddish tinted wings.
• females have a sting (but generally only aggressive if threatened).
• carnivorous, eating other large insects.
• very attracted to fruit such as apples and pears, which they will eat on the tree or as windfalls.
  

Lookalikes: Queens of the other social wasps (Vespula spp, Dolichovespula spp), which are smaller and black and yellow. Yellow-legged Asian Hornet Vespa velutina nigrithorax, which is smaller and much darker.


Habitat: Nests in hollow trees, wall cavities, chimneys.


Flight Period: Adults are active from early spring to late summer.


Status: Population fluctuates from year to year.


Photographed by Loire Valley Nature:

Fighting over a windfall pear (probably a Greenbottle Lucilia sp to the right, on the pear).

Fighting over a windfall pear (probably a Greenbottle Lucilia sp above, on the pear).

Fighting.

Fighting.

Fighting over a windfall pear (probably a Greenbottle Lucilia sp to the left, on the pear).

Fighting.