Need an ID on mystery wasp

[Malkavian]

Found this the morning previous to finding the hummingbird moth in the other thread I started here. This guy was stuck to the inner side of the screen door on our back porch so I opened it up to snap a few pics before encouraging it to fly off. I estimate it was about half to threequarters an inch long, maybe bigger.

Unfortunately the pic doesnt give much an idea of scale, since focusing on the buzzer blurred out everything else.

The insect was fairly sedate until thowards the end of my photo session it started climbing around on the screen and finally fell off, and took flight. There is a light by the screen door that attracts tons of moths and flying insects at night, I wonder if it might have been attracted by the light or the abundance of slow flying prey.

Being as I'm at home I dont have any of my insect reference books with me. I'm stumped though, as this is bigger than any of the bees and built differently than any of the wasps that i've ever seen around. Could it be a drone or immature queen?

 

[Stardust]

I tink our bro Vespa Bicolour can give u information on wat's that....

 

[vespa_bicolor]

I haven't seen any New World/European species in life, but that looks like a "true"/ European hornet (Vespa crabro) to me. It's an introduced species to the USA if I'm not wrong.

You may want to have a look at www.vespa-crabro.de and compare the pics; I'm 99% sure its a European hornet.

And the antennae look rather long; also I guess it should be late summer in your area? Because it looks somewhat like a male.

Hope this helps

 

[Malkavian]

Going by those photos, european hornet it is! Thanks Vespa.

Interesting that they're introduced species...any idea if they are a pest or cause problems to native insects?

 

[vespa_bicolor]

No problem!

Pests... I don't think so. Because from what I heard they're rather uncommon through their range, including in the US. And they tend to prefer forested areas to nest. Also they are not a big problem in the sense that they don't often get attracted to food and make pests at outdoor events.

Do you have other yellowjackets in your area too? I'll bet those are bigger pests than a European hornet can ever be!

 

[Wade]

Yes, the European hornet is a rather unassuming invader. If anything, I'd venture to say they're bennificial, as I've personally observed them picking off housflies.

Wade