Buzz
As flying insects busily pollinate plants, you might find yourself wondering if the small creature perched on your arm is a bee, wasp, hornet, or perhaps even a yellow jacket—and whether it’s about to sting. A quick tip for distinguishing bees from wasps and hornets: Bees typically can only sting once, while hornets and wasps are capable of stinging multiple times.
Insect | Classification | Diet |
|---|---|---|
Bees | Clade Anthophila | Pollen, nectar |
Wasps | Suborder Apocrita | Spiders, flies, caterpillars, nectar |
Hornets | Genus Vespa | Fruit, flies, sap, spilled soda |
Here are some less painful ways to tell bees, wasps, and hornets apart.
What Do Bees Look Like?
Like all insects, including wasps and hornets, bees have a head, a thorax with six legs, and an abdomen. Bees are distinct in having antennae, compound eyes, and specialized mouthparts that allow them to bite and chew. Many species also feature stiff hairs that collect and transfer pollen. Only female bees possess stingers, which are actually modified egg-laying structures known as ovipositors [PDF].
Bees belong to seven taxonomic families within the clade Anthophila, with approximately 20,000 wild bee species worldwide. They originated from wasps around 125 million years ago, alongside the rise of flowering plants. Bees are herbivores, primarily feeding on flower nectar and pollen.
What Do Wasps Consume?
All wasps fall under the suborder Apocrita, with common types like hornets and yellow jackets categorized in the Vespidae family. Wasps are carnivorous; their parents dedicate much of their energy to hunting protein-rich spiders and insects to nourish their young. Parasitic wasps deposit their eggs inside another creature, providing the larvae with a source of protein once they hatch. Adult wasps may also feed on nectar.
Wasps typically have two sets of wings and a narrow waist between their thorax and abdomen. Only females have stingers, but they can sting repeatedly.
Are Hornets a Threat?
Hornets, a type of wasp in the genus Vespa, are social insects that build nests in colonies. North America does not have any native hornet species. (Although yellowjackets, which are native to North America, belong to the genus Vespula, and are not true hornets, despite their similar appearance and behavior.) Several hornet species, including the European hornet, which was introduced to the East Coast in 1840, have made their way to the continent. Recently, the Asian giant hornet was discovered in the Pacific Northwest.
Hornets are typically larger and bulkier than other wasps, and like their relatives in the suborder Apocrita, they can be aggressive and capable of stinging multiple times.
