Identification

Long: from 14 to 20 mm. Yellow and black colour. Abdomen truncated at the front and tapered at the back, with a retractable stinger.

Living areas

A cardboard nest built in the stumps, in the attics of houses and sometimes in holes underground. Lives in a colony composed of a queen, males and workers. Active during the day.

Feeding

Adult: Sweet substances in plants. Larvae: Animal material slurry (meat or dead insects) pre-digested by workers.

Nuisances

Damages fruits, flowers or vegetables. Painful and very dangerous bite for allergic individuals.

Life cycle

Up to a thousand eggs per queen. Larval development: Approximately 1 month. Development cycle: From 1 to 1.5 months. Adult life span: One year for the queen. A few months for males and workers.