# Entomologists, what kind of hornet/wasp was this?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entomologists-what-kind-of-hornet-wasp-was-this/766962
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [September 26, 2016, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entomologists-what-kind-of-hornet-wasp-was-this/766962 "2016-09-26T19:38:01Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2016, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entomologists-what-kind-of-hornet-wasp-was-this/766962/1 "2016-09-26T19:38:01Z")
I saw [this thing](https://imgur.com/a/5jmnG) on the pavement the other day. She is big (a bit longer than an inch I would say), so I assumed some kind of hornet, but all the photos of [hornets](http://www.scstatebeekeepers.org/Resources/Documents/Master%20Beekeeper%20Program/Posters%20for%20Teaching/Yellow%20Jacket,%20Bald%20Face%20hornet,%20European%20Hornet.jpg) on the internet have [more yellow](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/Vespa_crabro_germana_with_prey_Richard_Bartz_Crop.jpg) abdoments.
Any thoughts?
I have seen a lot of them buzzing around a tree outside my window at work.
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### Author:  [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2016, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entomologists-what-kind-of-hornet-wasp-was-this/766962/2 "2016-09-26T19:42:28Z")
Yellowjacket or hornet, yep. Not sure exactly what species.
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2016, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entomologists-what-kind-of-hornet-wasp-was-this/766962/3 "2016-09-26T19:45:33Z")
There’s a lot more species of hornets than that.
You don’t say where you are, but here’s [a key to eastern hornets of the genus Vespula](http://cjai.biologicalsurvey.ca/bmc_05/key_vespula.html)with illustrations.
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### Author:  [@Stana\_Claus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stana_Claus)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2016, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entomologists-what-kind-of-hornet-wasp-was-this/766962/4 "2016-09-26T19:46:17Z")
Cicada Killer? [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphecius\_speciosus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphecius_speciosus)
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2016, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entomologists-what-kind-of-hornet-wasp-was-this/766962/5 "2016-09-26T19:48:31Z")
> [@Stana\_Claus](#):
>
> Cicada Killer? [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphecius\_speciosus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphecius_speciosus)
That looks like a pretty good match to me.
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### Author:  [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2016, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entomologists-what-kind-of-hornet-wasp-was-this/766962/6 "2016-09-28T01:45:02Z")
> [@Stana\_Claus](#):
>
> Cicada Killer? [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphecius\_speciosus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphecius_speciosus)
> [@Colibri](#):
>
> That looks like a pretty good match to me.
Looks specious to me.
\:D
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### Author:  [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2016, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entomologists-what-kind-of-hornet-wasp-was-this/766962/7 "2016-09-28T03:38:21Z")
That’s a great picture.
Occasionally I get one of those pretty blue mud daubers lazily flying around the house. I don’t mind them since they’re not aggressive. Can usually either catch it or get it to go back out a window or door.