07/18/2025
The Buzz About Look-Alikes
It's July, and you may start to notice more yellow and black insects flying around. Some of the most common include yellowjackets, hornets, bumblebees, and hoverflies. While some of these insects will sting if threatened, others don’t even have stingers. Hoverflies, for example, are flies and not in the same group as bees and wasps. They mimic their more venomous counterparts but do not sting. There is great diversity and beauty among these insect groups, as shown in the images above.
The larger the insect, the more people notice it. One of our larger native insects that draws attention this time of year is the eastern cicada killer, often mistaken for the invasive Northern Giant Hornet (formerly known as Asian giant hornet).
The eastern cicada killer (Sphecius speciosus) is a large, solitary wasp native to the eastern half of the United States. It is generally non-threatening to people, but can be territorial. Males cannot sting, and females will only sting if provoked. Female cicada killers hunt cicadas, paralyze them with a sting, and bring them to their underground nests to feed their young. These wasps prefer sunny areas with loose, well-drained soil for nesting. Small mounds near sidewalks or lawns are a common sign of their activity this time of year.
Eastern cicada killer and northern giant hornet
Photo by Hanna Royals, USDA APHIS PPQ, Bugwood.org
The northern giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) is an invasive species first discovered in Washington in 2019. This insect is concerning because it can decimate a honeybee colony within hours and poses a threat to pollinators. Northern giant hornets typically nest underground and prefer forested or mountainous regions. After five years of work by multiple agricultural agencies, the northern giant hornet is now considered eradicated from the U.S.
Top row, left to right: yellowjacket, bumble bee photo by Russ Bottom, left to right: hoverfly, baldfaced hornet.
