Types of Bees & Wasps: 10 Common Species
Two pairs of wings and, in females, a stinger at the tip of the abdomen. This guide covers the 10 bees & wasps people find most often.
Quick list
How to narrow it down
Narrow it down with three quick checks. Count the legs: insects have six, spiders and ticks have eight, and centipedes and millipedes have many more. Check for wings, even folded ones. Then compare size against a coin: a US penny is 19 mm across. Our bug identifier tool does this filtering for you.
The 10 bugs
Bald-Faced Hornet
Bald-Faced HornetDolichovespula maculataA black wasp with ivory-white markings on its face and the tip of its abdomen. It builds large, gray, football-shaped paper nests in trees, shrubs and under eaves.
Tell-tale sign: Black body with a white face and white tail markings. Risk: Bald-faced hornets deliver painful stings and attack in numbers when their nest is disturbed.
European Hornet
European HornetVespa crabroThe only true hornet established in North America, a large brown-and-yellow wasp that nests in hollow trees, barns and wall voids. It often flies at night and is attracted to lights.
Tell-tale sign: Large wasp with a reddish-brown head and thorax. Risk: European hornet stings are very painful, and colonies defend their nest, though workers are less aggressive away from it.
Yellowjacket
YellowjacketVespula maculifronsA sleek, bright yellow-and-black wasp that nests underground or in wall voids. Late-summer workers scavenge for sweets and meat and are drawn to picnics and trash cans.
Tell-tale sign: Smooth, shiny yellow and black body with little hair. Risk: Yellowjackets sting repeatedly and defend nests aggressively; multiple stings or an allergy can be dangerous.
Bumble Bee
Bumble BeeBombus spp.A large, round, very hairy bee with black and yellow bands. It nests in the ground or old rodent burrows and pollinates tomatoes, blueberries and wildflowers.
Tell-tale sign: Plump, fuzzy body covered in dense hair. Risk: Bumble bees are gentle but can sting more than once if their nest is disturbed.
Honey Bee
Honey BeeApis melliferaA fuzzy, golden-brown bee with darker bands that pollinates crops and flowers and lives in large colonies. A worker's barbed stinger stays in the skin after it stings.
Tell-tale sign: Golden-brown to amber body with dark abdominal bands. Risk: A honey bee sting is painful and can trigger life-threatening allergic reactions in sensitive people; call a local beekeeper for swarms.
Paper Wasp
Paper WaspPolistes spp.A slender wasp with long, dangling legs that builds open, umbrella-shaped paper nests under eaves, railings and grills. It hunts caterpillars to feed its young.
Tell-tale sign: Long, thin body with a narrow waist. Risk: Paper wasps are less aggressive than yellowjackets but will sting to defend their nest.
Velvet Ant
Velvet AntDasymutilla occidentalisNot an ant at all but a wingless female wasp covered in bright red, velvety hair. It runs across sandy ground in summer and lays eggs in the nests of ground-nesting bees.
Tell-tale sign: Dense, bright red or orange fuzz with black bands. Risk: Its sting is famously painful, earning it the name cow killer, but it is not deadly and it isn't aggressive.
Carpenter Bee
Carpenter BeeXylocopa virginicaA large bee that bores perfectly round holes into bare wood on decks, eaves and fences. Males hover aggressively near nests but cannot sting.
Tell-tale sign: Shiny, hairless black abdomen. Risk: Females can sting but rarely do; repeated nesting weakens wood and attracts woodpeckers.
Cicada Killer
Cicada KillerSphecius speciosusOne of the largest wasps in North America, with a black-and-yellow abdomen and amber wings. Females dig burrows in sandy lawns and stock them with paralyzed cicadas.
Tell-tale sign: Very large wasp up to two inches long. Risk: Despite their size, cicada killers are docile; males can't sting and females rarely do.
Mud Dauber
Mud DauberSceliphron caementariumA solitary wasp with a thread-thin waist that builds tube-shaped mud nests on walls, ceilings and under porches. It stocks each nest with paralyzed spiders.
Tell-tale sign: Extremely long, thread-like waist. Risk: Mud daubers are non-aggressive and very rarely sting, even when handled.
Which ones should you worry about?
7 of the 10 bugs in this guide can bite or sting. The ones to take seriously are bald-faced hornet, European hornet and yellowjacket. The rest are harmless or simply a nuisance.
Comparison at a glance
| Bald-Faced Hornet | European Hornet | Yellowjacket | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group | Bees & Wasps | Bees & Wasps | Bees & Wasps |
| Scientific name | Dolichovespula maculata | Vespa crabro | Vespula maculifrons |
| Size | 15–20 mm | 25–35 mm | 10–16 mm |
| Colors | Black and White | Brown and Yellow | Yellow and Black |
| Legs | 6 legs | 6 legs | 6 legs |
| Wings | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bites or stings | Stings | Stings | Stings |
| Risk | Health risk | Health risk | Health risk |
| Key feature | Black body with a white face and white tail markings | Large wasp with a reddish-brown head and thorax | Smooth, shiny yellow and black body with little hair |
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common one?
Among the bugs in this guide, the bald-faced hornet and European hornet are the ones people ask about most.
Which of these are dangerous?
Bald-Faced Hornet, European Hornet and Yellowjacket can be medically significant.
How can I identify a bug I found?
Use the free bug identifier tool: choose the number of legs, wings, main color, size and where you found it, and it will list the closest matches.