Wasp iD?

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gramps

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We recently had to have a wasp nest dealt with in the eaves of our roof. Prior to the pest controller coming in we had some wasps coming into the house - usual size.
However last evening when I went into the upstairs study I found a much larger example dead on my mouse-pad.
Is it a wasp? Hornet? Something else?

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Looking at the eyes makes me think of a Hover species :thinking:

Edit ~ yours does look like this one

Hornet mimic hoverfly | The Wildlife Trusts

With black-and-yellow markings, the hornet mimic hoverfly looks like its namesake, but is harmless to us. This mimicry helps to protect it from predators while it searches for nectar.
www.wildlifetrusts.org www.wildlifetrusts.org
 
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Box Brownie said:
Looking at the eyes makes me think of a Hover species :thinking:

Edit ~ yours does look like this one

Hornet mimic hoverfly | The Wildlife Trusts

With black-and-yellow markings, the hornet mimic hoverfly looks like its namesake, but is harmless to us. This mimicry helps to protect it from predators while it searches for nectar.
www.wildlifetrusts.org www.wildlifetrusts.org
Click to expand...
Does look similar doesn’t it.
 
Box Brownie said:
Looking at the eyes makes me think of a Hover species :thinking:

Edit ~ yours does look like this one

Hornet mimic hoverfly | The Wildlife Trusts

With black-and-yellow markings, the hornet mimic hoverfly looks like its namesake, but is harmless to us. This mimicry helps to protect it from predators while it searches for nectar.
www.wildlifetrusts.org www.wildlifetrusts.org
Click to expand...
Yes that is right. Although it does live in wasp nests.
 
davholla said:
Yes that is right. Although it does live in wasp nests.
Click to expand...
Don't they build their own in trees/rotting wood normally? Or do they just move in to old nests?
I thought Hoverflies prefer to stay away from buildings except when they get lost or drawn in by house plants :LOL:
 
Gav-canon said:
Don't they build their own in trees/rotting wood normally? Or do they just move in to old nests?
I thought Hoverflies prefer to stay away from buildings except when they get lost or drawn in by house plants :LOL:
Click to expand...
Hoverflies have a wide variety of larval habitats some do live in rot holes but others live as commensals in wasp nests (like this one).
The ones I see most of all eat aphids but there are some that live in ant nests as parasites and others eat daffodil bulbs.
 
davholla said:
Hoverflies have a wide variety of larval habitats some do live in rot holes but others live as commensals in wasp nests (like this one).
The ones I see most of all eat aphids but there are some that live in ant nests as parasites and others eat daffodil bulbs.
Click to expand...
Everydays a school day, cheers (y)
 
Can I recommend the ObsIdentify app? It's amazing how far 'ai' has come in a few years. I fed it your photo and it agreed with Box Brownie about the species.

It's not at the stage where you can take the answer as gospel every single time but it's remarkable how accurate it can be and it's a useful starting point
 
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