{"id":8204,"date":"2011-09-21T14:57:12","date_gmt":"2011-09-21T13:57:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rentokil.co.uk\/blog\/?p=8204"},"modified":"2025-05-09T13:09:51","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T12:09:51","slug":"wasp-or-hoverfly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rentokil.co.uk\/blog\/wasp-or-hoverfly\/","title":{"rendered":"Wasp or Hoverfly? How To Tell Them Apart | Pest Control Blog"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Hoverfly<\/a>There’s a good reason why some bugs disguise themselves as another insect – it tricks predators like birds into thinking they are dangerous. One example of a bug in disguise is the hoverfly, which is easily confused with a wasp<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There are over 270 types of hoverfly in Britain and about 120 of them have the distinguished black and yellow markings of a wasp. Some hoverfly’s look like honey bees<\/a> (shiny brown, orange and black), bumblebees (furry) or hornets<\/a> (huge wasp-like insects which although big and scary aren’t as ill-tempered as wasps).<\/p>\n

The hoverfly doesn’t have a sting in its tail and is completely harmless and thus attracts an unfair negative and sometimes aggressive responsive from humans. So how do you tell the passive look-a-like hoverfly from it’s stinging want-to-be wasp? The good news is that the hoverfly’s disguise isn’t perfect and if you look carefully there are a few tell-tale clues:<\/p>\n

\"Hoverfly<\/a>How to ID a Hoverfly<\/h2>\n

Eyes:<\/strong> large and round, especially large in some males so they can spot females better.<\/p>\n

Antennae:<\/strong> short and stubby.<\/p>\n

Thorax:<\/strong> only one pair of broad wings, usually held out flat in a backwards V shape when resting.<\/p>\n

Abdomen:<\/strong> without a narrow waist; although a very few secretive species have perfected the narrow waist disguise.<\/p>\n

Flight:<\/strong> World class hoverers. Some species can fly absolutely still in mid-air, then suddenly dart-off.<\/p>\n

Sting:<\/strong> Absolutely none. Deep down all hoverfly know this but some are in denial and may still pretend.<\/p>\n

Plus-points: <\/strong>apart from the no-stinging quality of their personality their larvae eat greenfly and can chomp through 50 aphids a day.<\/p>\n

Lifestyle:<\/strong> Some hoverfly keep up their wasp pretense by living in wasp nests. Others live in compost heaps or take shelter in old trees.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>How to ID a Wasp<\/h2>\n

Head:<\/strong> Eyes smaller than the hoverfly and slimmer. Tend to be kidney shaped, pinched in around the antennae.<\/p>\n

Antennae:<\/strong> Long and slim.<\/p>\n

Thorax: <\/strong>Two pairs of wings. The front pair are large, the back wings much smaller. Wings are held directly over the back when resting.<\/p>\n

Abdomen:<\/strong> The very narrow waist is a key give-away.<\/p>\n

Flight:<\/strong> A casual, bobbing motion whilst searching for food.<\/p>\n

Sting:<\/strong> Only the queens and female workers sting.<\/p>\n

Lifestyle:<\/strong> Live in a nest<\/a> made from paper. By the end of summer it is normally the size of a football and can contain 10,000 wasps. When the first frost comes the wasps return to the nest and die. The queens find somewhere sheltered to overwinter.<\/p>\n

Articles of Interest:<\/p>\n