Difference Between Asian and European Wasp
Wasps are small flying insects belonging to the order -Hymenoptera- and the suborder -Apocrita-, they are a species present throughout the world and their habitats are very varied, although they usually prefer sunny sites to build their nests, which are located on mounds next to walls, under floors or eaves of houses, in trees, plants, riverbanks and underground holes, among others.
However, and although they belong to the same family, Asian wasps and European wasps have certain differences depending on the adaptive capacity of the species to the environment, so it is in our interest to highlight these differences in this article.
Asian Wasp
The Asian wasp whose scientific name is -Vespa Velutina-, belongs to the genus -Vespa- that mostly lives in Asia, they are large social wasps, so they are commonly called hornets. Therefore, it is a species native to China and hence its colloquial name (Asian wasp). Apart from this, it is a diurnal species that feeds on insects (butterflies, ants and other smaller ones).
Additionally, the Asian wasp has as physical characteristics that the thorax and abdomen are black, except for the fourth segment of the body that is yellow, its legs are brown and stand out for their yellow ends and its wings are of a very dark brown colour.
On the other hand, it is one of the largest species, typical of the temperate subtropical climate of northern India and China. It can inoculate its prey with poison, which is not lethal to humans but can cause poisoning and allergic reactions due to the amount of poison inoculated in a sting. They generally attack in defense of their nests when they feel vulnerable.
In addition, it is a foreign species that forms very large nests hanging from a tree or under a roof, these nests can have thousands of workers, so they need a large amount of food, therefore, they can represent a greater danger due to the amount of bites they could give a person. It is worth noting that there are no known subspecies of the Vespa Velutina.
european wasp
The European wasp whose scientific name is -Vespa Crabro-, belongs to the genus -Vespa- originally from Europe, it is a large wasp that, in the same way, is usually called a hornet. They were geographically distributed throughout Europe and part of Asia, later also reaching North America, where it is called the European hornet. European wasps need high-energy foods such as sugars to maintain flight, so they usually seek nectar and plant sap, they also feed on a sugary liquid secreted by the larvae of some insects.
These wasps often build their nests in room corners and in tree hollows. They are easy to distinguish based on their physical characteristics such as the ends of the legs, which are brown, the top of the head is yellow, the thorax is brown, and the wings are light brown. Despite their large size, they do not represent a high risk to man, except in cases of people allergic to their sting or in cases where the person is stung by a large number of wasps.
Similarly, they often attack when they see their nest in danger. Finally, seven subspecies of Vespa Crabro are known.
Once the characteristics of each of these species have been presented, the following table is presented where the basic differences between the two are indicated:
| Asian Wasp | european wasp |
| It is a species native to Asia. | It is a species native to Europe. |
| The termination of the legs is yellow. | The termination of the legs is brown. |
| It feeds on bees, larvae, butterflies and other insects. | It feeds on substances rich in sugars such as nectar, sap and substances from some larvae. |
| Its thorax is very dark brown. | Its thorax is medium brown. |
| There are no known subspecies. | Seven subspecies of Vespa Crabro are known. |
| The wings are very dark brown, almost black. | The wings are light brown. |
