In this world, there are different types of flying insects, the usual ones being wasp and hornet. Wasp and hornet are the frequently found winged insects in the gardens, forests and even roofs of buildings, residences. Wasp and hornet are a type of species who usually live in groups or colonies.
Wasp vs Hornet
The main difference between wasp and hornet is that wasp is smaller in size and has a black and yellow colour, whereas hornet is larger and has black and white, red colour.
However, the above is not the only difference. A comparison between both the terms on certain parameters can shed light on subtle aspects:
Comparison Table Between Wasp and Hornet (in Tabular Form)
| Parameter of Comparison | Wasp | Hornet |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Smaller in size | Larger in size |
| Size in approximate cm | around 2 cm | around 3 cm |
| Colour | Black and yellow or having multiple colours, since they have a huge number of species | Black and white or reddish-brown |
| Is there hair on the body? | Few or no hair | Some hair |
| Pattern of stinging | Gives repeated stings | Gives sting plus bite |
| Which is more dangerous from human beings perspective? | Less dangerous | Hornet is more dangerous due to its painful stings and more venom |
| Does wasp mean hornet and vice versa? | A wasp cannot be considered as a hornet | Hornet can be considered as a wasp. Hornet is a type of social wasp |
| Which one looks frightening? | The wasp does not look so scary because of its smaller size | Hornet looks spooky because it is larger |
| How are the nests built? | In the air, or on the ground | In the tree leaves. Rarely built on the ground. |
| Are the nests protected from the interior? | No | Yes |
| Size of nests | Larger | Smaller |
| What do they feed on? | Insects, sweets or waste food | Insects, they don’t like sweets the way wasp does |
| Ideal months in which the insects appear | Summertime | Monsoon season |
| Number of Species | Many. More than 70000 | Very less |
What is Wasp?
Wasp is a very general and wide term to denote different types of species of winged insects. Wasp is normally in black and yellow colour with a narrow abdomen. Wasp has two sets of wings. Wasp tends to sting repeatedly. Wasp females have stings by birth, males do not.
Wasp is found in almost all geographies in the world except Siberian regions. Wasp will mostly feed on flower nectar, spiders, sweets or small insects or even dead insects. If the nests are built around houses, the same can pose a danger to humans because wasp will look for sugary foods as wasp likes sugary items.
Any attempt by humans to disrupt their nests can lead to painful (not life-threatening) stings from a wasp. Wasp has multiple species which can be more than 70000. The common ones being social wasp and solitary wasp. The social wasp includes yellow jacket and paper wasp who stay in large colonies.
The social wasp will have narrow wings, waist and with a color combination of yellow and black stripes. The solitary wasp will have a narrow waist. Wasp is not synonymous with bees. Bee has pollen baskets that the wasp does not have.
What is Hornet?
Hornet is a species of winged insect which is larger (especially near the abdomen area) and with black and white colour. Hornet belongs to the insect family known as Vespidae.
Hornet can be regarded as a type of social wasp who lives in large colonies. Hornet is found in almost all regions of the world, however, the ordinary place will be tropical areas of Asia and northern hemisphere.
Hornet has around 20 species, the usual ones being bald-faced Hornet (who is black and white), and European Hornet who is larger, Asian Hornet who is smaller in size with the dark abdomen.
Hornet is dangerous and highly aggressive. Hornet sting is very painful due to the heavy percentage of venom in the sting. Hornet can deliver multiple stings which can be fatal even to a very healthy person leading to severe medical complications
Hornet will feed on insects, wasps, grasshoppers, crickets, fruits, leaves, bees, tree sap. One of the beneficial aspects of hornet is that it enables control of the population of other insects.
Without a hornet in this world, other insects such as flies, beetles would have been out of proportion and a great nuisance. Also, the hornet tends to pollinate flowers.
Conclusion
Although there is a tendency to relate wasp to hornet and vice versa and consider both these creatures as the same thing, however, it will be a prudent option to understand their fundamental distinctions.
This assessment can certainly result in preventing the killing of beneficial insects (such as hornet) and also keeping oneself safe from the painful stings of the dangerous creature. One good aspect is that if one doesn’t go in the way of either wasp or hornet, they also won’t do any harm.
However, seeing their nests can be a nuisance and their stings are always painful leading to grave health fatalities. However, if one can recognize them and implement effective pest control mechanisms at the right time, health protection can be ensured.
References
- https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/group/wasps/
- https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/allergolint/63/1/63_13-OA-0556/_article/-char/ja/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0041010105003739