Help the development of the site, sharing the article with friends!

Wasps do not have a good reputation, as they are considered extremely annoying and dangerous for many people. Most native wasp species are peaceful and by no means behind after human food.

In a nutshell

  • Wasps belong to the hymenoptera
  • 12 different species within the real wasps in Germany
  • also other groups, such as paper wasps and chimney wasps
  • Occurrence: in all regions, primarily in open areas and near human settlements
  • only two species are troublesome to man, the common and the German wasp

True wasps (Vespinae)

The real wasps belong to the family of the social wasps (Vespidae). These are state-forming hymenoptera. Eleven different species of real wasps are native to Germany, which we present to you here.

Hornet (Vespa crabro)

The hornet is the largest of the wasp species native to Germany. The queen reaches an impressive length of up to 35 millimeters, the workers are at least two centimeters long. Hornets are easily recognized by their distinctive coloring:

Hornet, Vespa crabro
  • Breast segment drawn in red and black
  • abdomen yellow and black
  • Head shield: solid yellow with no black markings

The hornet queen establishes the nest alone in the spring. In this she lays the fertilized eggs, from which the workers develop. In the fall, young queens and males, called drones, hatch and eventually swarm and mate. With the first night frosts, the entire hornet colony dies, including the old queen, only the mated young queens overwinter. Hornets feed on captured insects, tree sap and fallen fruit.

Notice: Hornets are a protected species in Germany and may not be caught or killed. Contrary to all prejudices, hornets are not dangerous: they are peaceful and no more poisonous than wasps or bees.

Short-headed wasps (Paravespula)

The short-headed wasps also belong to the real wasps, but this genus is characterized by a special physical feature: There is no space between the lower edge of the eye and the base of the upper jaw. In Germany, the three following wasp species are quite common.

German wasp (Vespula germanica)

Together with the similar common wasp, the German wasp is one of the most common wasp species in Germany. Typical external features by which Vespula germanica can be identified are:

Source: Bernie, AD2009Sep09 Vespula germanica 09, Edited from Plantopedia, CC0 1.0
  • Queen: up to 20 millimeters in size
  • Worker: 13 to 16 millimeters in size
  • Drone: 13 to 17 millimeters in size
  • wasp-typical black-yellow coloring
  • Distinguishing features: one to three black dots on the head shield

The German wasp also builds its nests underground, preferably in mole and mouse burrows. Sometimes, however, they can also be found in the roof trusses of buildings, because this wasp species - like so many species - needs rotten wood to build its nest.

The German and common wasp look very similar, but you can tell them apart by the color of their nests: German wasps tend to build greyish nests, while common wasps build lighter, beige ones. A wasp colony of this type usually includes about 3000 to 4000 individuals.

Common wasp (Vespula vulgaris)

The common wasp is one of the most common wasp species in Central Europe. You can recognize them by these characteristics:

Source: marsupium photography, Creepy crawlies (17002806759), Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 2.0
  • Length: between 11 and 19 millimeters
  • Abdomen characteristically black and yellow patterned
  • yellow head shield with black, anchor-shaped drawing
  • occur between April and October
  • Occurrence: Widespread in large parts of Europe and mostly common, inhabits open landscapes, often found in residential areas

The hibernating young queen begins building the nest and laying eggs in the spring. Its finely chewed wood, which is mixed with saliva, is used as building material. After the first workers hatch, the queen no longer leaves the nest but only lays eggs. The resulting insect state is strictly organized according to the division of labor and the workers are either

  • with nest building
  • the cell cleansing
  • the feeding of the larvae
  • the defense of the nest
  • the supply of the queen
  • or the food occupation

employed. The size of the nest increases rapidly, growing to 3000-4000 individuals or even more.

Notice: The bad reputation of wasps stems from the animals' habit of becoming a nuisance over coffee on the terrace or at a barbecue in the summer. However, this only applies to the two species German wasp and common wasp, because all other wasp species are not interested in human food.

Red wasp (Vespula rufa)

The red wasp is closely related to the common and German wasp, but avoids humans and will not feed on human food. The species is considered peaceful.

Source: Kjetil Fjellheim from Bergen, Norway, Rød veps (Vespula rufa) (4805339773), Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY 2.0
  • Queen: 16 to 20 millimeters in size
  • Worker: 10 to 14 millimeters in size
  • Drone: 13 to 16 millimeters in size
  • Colouring: Black-yellow, typical of wasps, but two front red abdominal segments
  • Diet: Nectar from umbelliferae and honeydew from aphids
  • Larvae are fed with fly and mosquito larvae
  • underground nests, especially in mouse and mole burrows
  • small colonies with 150 to 350 individuals

Red wasps are usually peaceful even near the nest.

Long-headed wasps (Dolichovespula)

Long-headed wasps are distinguished from the short-headed wasps presented by the clear space between the lower edge of the eye and the base of the upper jaw. The various wasp species are widespread in Central Europe and can often be found quite frequently. They inhabit both open biotopes and human settlements.

False cuckoo wasp (Dolichovespula adulterina)

This species is a so-called social parasite. False cuckoo wasps do not build their own nests, but lay their eggs in the nests of the Saxon wasp. Thus, their occurrence extends to the same regions as that of the host species. No separate state is formed.

Source: Katja Schulz from Washington, D.C., USA, Parasitic Yellowjacket (15025342930), Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY 2.0
  • Length females: 14 to 17 millimeters
  • Length drones: 12 to 15 millimeters
  • Coloring is typical of wasps, but very variable
  • Flight time between mid-June to late August

The false cuckoo wasp occasionally stings humans, but this hardly hurts.

Medium wasp/small hornet (Dolichovespula media)

This relatively peaceful species is occasionally aggressive only in the nest area.

Source: Orangeaurochs from Sandy, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom, Wasp (Dolichovespula media?), Gibside, Tyne and Wear (9486355889), Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY 2.0
  • Queen: 18 to 22 millimeters in size
  • Worker: 15 to 19 millimeters in size
  • Drone: 15 to 19 millimeters in size
  • Coloration: very variable, workers and drones mostly black with only narrow yellow markings, queens can easily be mistaken for a hornet
  • Occurrence: mainly in northern Europe
  • Lifestyle: builds paper nests primarily from poplar wood, mostly in bushes or hedges at a height of between one and four metres, colonies often die off in late summer/early autumn

Norwegian wasp (Dolichovespula norwegica)

The Norwegian wasp looks very similar to the more common red wasp.

Source: S. Rae from Scotland, UK, Dolichovespula norwegica (female) (9626119331), Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY 2.0
  • Queen: 15 to 19 millimeters in size
  • Worker: 12 to 15 millimeters in size
  • Drone: 14 to 16 millimeters in size
  • Colouring: black and yellow, typical of wasps, the two front abdominal segments are reddish
  • Occurrence: Mainly in mountainous, wooded regions
  • Lifestyle: builds nests close to the ground in bushes and woodpiles, avoids the proximity of people

As is typical for wasps, the species feeds primarily on honeydew and the nectar of umbelliferae, only the larvae need animal protein in the form of prey insects. Mainly mosquitoes and various types of flies are captured for this purpose.

Saxon wasp (Dolichovespula saxonica)

Source: S. Rae from Scotland, UK, Dolichovespula saxonica (male), Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY 2.0

The fairly common Saxon wasp is only between 11 and 18 millimeters long and forms relatively small colonies of up to 300 individuals. The nests are often placed in buildings - for example in barns and garden sheds - and are preferably found hanging freely in the roof beams. To build a nest, the workers scrape off rotten wood with their mouthparts and mix this with salivary gland secretion to form a paste. The greyish paper nest reaches a diameter of up to 25 millimeters.

This wasp feeds mainly on flower nectar, but it preys on other insects to feed its larvae. The species is peaceful even in the nest area, does not become a nuisance and does not touch food. Their appearance is typical of wasps with the narrow "wasp waist" and the black and yellow markings, but this varies greatly between individuals. This applies above all to the yellow abdomen markings.

Wood wasp (Dolichovespula sylvestris)

Source: gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K, Tree Wasp - Dolichovespula sylvestris… .side view - Flickr - gailhampshire, Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY 2.0
  • Queen: 15 to 19 millimeters in size
  • Worker: 13 to 15 millimeters in size
  • Drone: 14 to 16 millimeters in size
  • Colouring: black-yellow, typical of wasps
  • Distinctive features: cannot be distinguished from other long-headed wasps from the outside
  • Occurrence: widespread in Europe, mainly light forests, but also open regions and human settlement areas
  • Lifestyle: Nests in sheltered places hanging freely, like in burrows, bushes, buildings, up to 800 individuals

Wood cuckoo wasp (Dolichovespula omissa)

Source: Tobias1984, Dolichovespula omissa, Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

This species is a so-called social parasite that does not build its own nests and does not develop a hierarchically structured colony. For its survival, the wood cuckoo wasp depends on the presence of the wood wasp, in whose nests it lays its eggs. Wood cuckoo wasps cannot be distinguished from other long-headed wasps by their external characteristics, but they are often found in larger groups on umbelliferous plants during the summer months.

Paper wasps (Polistinae)

Depending on the author, the different types of paper wasps are sometimes counted among the true wasps, sometimes not. In most cases, however, they are counted among the so-called paper wasps, which build their paper-like nests from chewed and salivated wood fibers. The finished paper nest consists of open, exposed honeycombs without a protective cover and is attached to the substrate with a stick.

In Germany, these very similar paper wasp species are the most common:

  • Mountain paper wasp (Polistes biglumis)
  • Mountain paper wasp cuckoo wasp (Polistes atrimandibularis)
  • Gallic Paper Wasp (Polistes dominula)
  • Heath paper wasp (Polistes nimpha)
  • Dainty paper wasp (Polistes bischoffi)
Mountain paper wasp (Polistes biglumis), Source: Abalg, Polistes biglumis female2, Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY 3.0

The Gallic paper wasp, also known as the house paper wasp, often settles in human proximity and builds its nests, for example, under roof tiles or in sheds.

You can distinguish the paper wasp species from other wasp species by these characteristics:

  • very thin "wasp waist"
  • slim abdomen
  • this is also significantly narrowed towards the front

The paper wasp in a busy flower visitor. It is not a nuisance to people and is mostly peaceful, it only attacks in the immediate vicinity of the nest or if there is immediate disturbance and can then also sting painfully. In the spring, several queens usually found a small colony together, in the course of which there is a hierarchy with a "boss" at the top.

Common smokestack wasp (Odynerus spinipes)

In contrast to the other wasp species presented here, the chimney wasp does not form colonies. Instead, it is a solitary variety that often settles in smaller colonies. These groups are particularly common in loamy steep walls, in loam walls on buildings, in dry stone walls and in special nesting aids in gardens.

The chimney-shaped brood tubes are characteristic and also give the species its name: the females of the chimney wasp dig diagonally into the substrate leading down nest tunnels. The resulting excavation is moistened with liquid and glued in a ring around the entrance hole, resulting in the typical nesting entrances.

At the end of the corridor, some breast chambers are created, each of which is covered with an egg and filled with up to 20 weevil larvae for their own offspring.

Chimney wasps appear between May and July. They can be identified by these features:

  • Length: between ten and 13 millimeters
  • colored almost entirely black
  • Abdomen only narrowly ringed with yellow
  • Antennae club-shaped thickened

Tip: With a range of vertical, sun-exposed clay surfaces, the chimney wasp is easy to observe in gardens and even on the balcony.

frequently asked Questions

Are there also black hornets?

Dubbed “black hornets,” the insects are actually carpenter bees (Xylocopa violacea). With a length of up to 24 millimeters, these hymenoptera are among the largest European bees. The species is widespread in southern Europe and has so far been limited to warmer regions in central Europe. However, in the course of global warming, it is increasingly spreading to the north. If you want to offer the carpenter bee nesting opportunities in the garden, you can do this with vertical sun-exposed deadwood trunks.

Do parasitic or gall wasps also belong to the wasps?

Neither gall wasps nor parasitic wasps are real wasps. Gall wasps are legims and usually do not grow larger than four to five millimeters. A common species is the oak gall wasp (Cynips quercusfolii), which lays its eggs in oak leaves. Ichneumon wasps also belong to the Legimma family, but lay their eggs parasitically in the larvae of their host insects. They are often used in biological pest control.

What are digger wasps?

Digger wasps only have the name in common with real wasps. This group of hymenoptera belongs to the stinging insects and is closely related to bees. A common species in Germany is the sand wasp (Ammophila sabulosa), which digs its burrows vertically in sandy soil and camouflages the entrance with a small stone. Adult sand wasps feed on nectar and carry out extensive brood care: they regularly feed their larvae with butterfly larvae.

Help the development of the site, sharing the article with friends!

Category:

Animals in the garden