In terms of appearance, behavior, flying style, and size, many insects resemble bees. Because of their black and yellow striped bodies and capacity to inflict a painful sting, wasps are the most apparent bee mimics. Flies, moths, beetles, and ants that are black and yellow in color resemble bees in a remarkable way.
Many of the bugs that appear like bees are relatively harmless, with the exception of wasps and hornets. As a result, being able to distinguish between harmless and dangerous insects by comparing them to bees is possible.
Examining the body, antennae, and behavior is often simple to distinguish between bee lookalikes. Bees, for example, have a hairy body that is strong and muscular. Wasp, hoverfly, bee fly, and beetle mimics have smooth bodies, whereas bee mimics have rough bodies. Moreover, certain flying insects, especially wasps, are more aggressive than bees and may be pollinators in addition to bees.
The hairy body, two pairs of wings, and lengthy antenna of a honey bee (shown in the photograph) are diagnostic features. Identifying safe flies, beetles, and ants from stinging bees will be easier with descriptions and photos of bee imitators. You’ll also be taught how to identify bees from wasps.
What Are Bee Mimics?
Bugs, flies, wasps, and other insects are commonly mistaken for bees because of their appearance. Honeybee and other bee species have yellow stripes on their bodies, which are a distinguishing feature of bee-like insects. Moreover, some bee lookalikes have stingers, whether real or fake ones, like wasps do.
The behavior and look of honey bees serve as deterrents to predators. Certain insects have fuzzy hairs, make buzzing noises, and possess a vaguely bee-like shape. A long protruding tongue that resembles an extended stinger is one kind of bee-like fly, for example.
What Insects Look Like Bees?
The most prevalent flying insects mistaken for bees are wasps. Their slender, glossy bodies, on the other hand, immediately distinguish them as non-bees. The insects that most resemble honeybees are hoverflies. The lone insects are hairy and behave similarly to how you would expect a standard bee to act. Other common bee-like insects include the yellow-jacket moth, bee fly, European hornet, bee beetle, and four-spotted velvet ant.
Flies that Look Like Bees (With Pictures)
Certain types of hoverflies, drone flies, and bee-flies are commonly mistaken for bees. The following are some fly species that imitate bees.
Hoverfly (Syrphidae)
Hoverflies come in a variety of shapes and sizes, with each species having its own unique appearance. Bands of yellow and black colors distinguish many hoverfly species from bees, making them difficult to identify. Hoverflies, like honeybees, also feed on nectar while hovering around flowers.
In comparison to a typical bumblebee or honeybee, pictures of hoverflies show that their bodies are usually more smooth. The number of wings is another way to tell a hoverfly apart from a regular bee. Bees and wasps have two pairs of wings, whereas flies have just one.
To help distinguish honeybees from hoverflies, there are a few other tell-tale signs. In comparison to bees, flies have bigger complex eyes. Bee-like flies also feature stumpy antennae, in addition to the bee. Ultimately, the bodies of most hoverflies are smooth, making them resemble wasps rather than bees.
Oblique Streaktail (Allograpta obliqua)
The oblique streaktail (Allograpta obliqua) is a hoverfly with a yellow body and black stripes that may be mistaken for a little bee. The bright yellow and black body of the oblique streaktail, however, makes it a hoverfly. It also has two large reddish compound eyes, two pairs of wings, and short antennae.
Beneficial insects for your garden include hoverflies like the oblique streaktail. Pests like aphids and other soft-bodied insects may be reduced in your garden by attracting these flies. When they hatch, the bee lookalikes begin feeding on aphids by laying larvae next to them.
Common Drone Flies (Eristalis tenax)
Because of its fuzzy body, brown and yellow-orange stripes, and tendency to feed on flower nectar, the common drone fly (Eristalis tenax) resembles a small honeybee. This bee mimics bright flowers by hovering nearby. The adult is roughly the size of a honeybee drone, measuring about 1″ (2.5 cm) in length.
It may be difficult to distinguish between honeybee and drone fly species based on photographs. Both have a dark brown coloration. The typical drone fly, on the other hand, has two pairs of wings and bigger complex eyes. Drone flies are also harmless, unlike honeybees, who can sting.
Bee-fly (Bombylius)
The huge bee fly (Bombylius major) has a long protruding tongue that resembles theirs. Because it mimics the habits of normal bees, the fly gets its name “bee-fly.” Colors of the fuzzy flying insects vary from orange to yellow. They’ve also been known to destroy bee larvae in solitary bee nests. The long protruding tongue (proboscis) of a bee-fly distinguishes it from a regular bee. While hovering around flowers like a hummingbird, bee-flies use this to feed on nectar. In addition, unlike bees, most bee-flies lack striped patterns.
Wasps that Look Like Bees (With Pictures)
You may usually tell wasps from bees by looking at them and observing their behavior. Many wasp species look like bees. Wasps have a slender, smooth body with a significantly narrow waist, unlike bees, which have a stout body. Wasps, on the other hand, may be more aggressive than bees. Let’s explore some of the most similar wasp species to bees in further depth.
Yellowjacket or Yellow Jacket (Vespula)
Yellowjackets are wasps with black and yellow stripes that are native to the Northern Hemisphere. They are Vespula germanica (European wasp, German wasp, or German yellowjacket). Close-up photographs show the distinction between yellowjackets and bees, as well as the lack of a hairy body seen in all bees. In some regions, yellow wasps are known as “meat bees.”
White markings on the wasp’s body, a lack of flattened hind legs, and lance-like stingers are among the other differences between yellowjackets and honeybees. Yellowjacket wasps are also smaller than regular honeybees in terms of size. The European hornet is often confused with yellowjackets. Yellow and black stripes run down this substantial, aggressive wasp, making it bigger than typical North American wasps.
Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
The common wasp (Vespula vulgaris) has a smooth, non-fuzzy appearance that is similar to bees’. The fuzzy hair of bees or honeybees is lacking in the yellow and black striped flying insect. In addition, the common wasp has a visible thin waist between the thorax and abdomen, as well as vibrant colors on its back that help differentiate it from bees.
The common wasp, like other wasps, lives in colonies and creates papery nests in hollows, wall holes, and cracks. A ball-like paper nest, where the wasps are nesting, may be spotted high up in a tree. Predatory insects that eat other insect larvae are called wasps. They’ll also raid honeybee colonies and pilfer the honey.
European Paper Wasp (Polistes dominula)
The European paper wasp has a narrow, smooth body that makes it resemble a honeybee. It is Polistes dominula, or the common wasp. There are, however, a few ways to differentiate between wasps and regular bees. In contrast to the hairy thorax of the honeybee, the paper wasp has a thin, hairless form.
The legs of the European paper wasp are slimmer, not short, and stocky like a honeybee, which is another way to differentiate between it and a honeybee. Unlike bees, which have straight black antennae, paper wasps have long curled orangey antennae.
European Hornet (Vespa crabro)
Because of its black and yellow stripes, the European hornet (Vespa crabro) has bee-colored stripes. In comparison to typical bees, hornets are massive. Regular bees are twice the size of the enormous wasp. Moreover, compared to a bee, the European hornet has brilliant colors, thin legs, and bigger wings.
A hornet sting is more severe than a bee sting or a hornet sting, despite the fact that both can be painful. Because of the hornets’ stinger, it injects venom into the skin. Hornets can inject venom up to ten times, despite the fact that it is less powerful than a honeybee. A bee, on the other hand, has just one opportunity to inflict a painful sting before it dies.
Asian hornet (Vespa velutina)
It’s more likely to be an Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) if you see a big black flying bug with yellow or orange bands on its abdomen. The killer wasp is mostly black with a lustrous thorax and black and yellow legs, despite having dark orange stripes.
The head of this enormous wasp is dark brown or black, with huge compound eyes, as seen in the photos. It is a huge hornet, but like many wasp species known for being aggressive, it only attacks when it is threatened. Rather than attempting to swat a hornet that comes near you, move away. The pheromone released by hornets attracts members of the colony who will come to assist.
Asian Horntail (Eriotremex formosanus)
Because of their slightly hairy abdomen and thorax, like most bees, Asian horntails (Eriotremex formosanus) appear to be a bee. Wood wasps of the Horntail variety. Yellowish-orange and black stripes run around the body of the Asian horntail. Its body, on the other hand, is slender rather than short and stumpy, as compared to a regular bee.
The United States does not have a native species of Asian horntail. Since the 1970s, they have spread to many states, including deciduous trees and conifers. The ring of tiny orangey hairs around the body of bee-like wasps makes it easy to identify. Females have a brilliant yellow thorax, orange antennae, and a projecting stinger at the rear end.
Other Insects That Look Like Bees (With Pictures)
Other insect species mimic bees, aside from striped flies and wasps. These moths, beetles, and ants are harmless and will not sting you, unlike bees and wasps. Here are descriptions of various fascinating insects that resemble bees.
Wasp Moth (Amata huebneri)
The wasp moth has black and orange stripes, identical to bees and wasps. A wasp moth’s abdomen is robust, with black and orange stripes that resemble those of a bee. The moth, on the other hand, has longer, more slender antennae and lacks hair.
The list of gorgeous moths includes A wasp moth. It has black wings with white or light stripes, in addition to its vivid orangey-yellow and black body. The beautiful moth’s flight habits and stunning triangular black and white wings distinguish it from a bee, despite its similar size to a bee.
Broad-Bordered Bee Hawk-Moth (Hemaris fuciformis)
The broad-bordered bee hawk moth has a hairy, stout body and is colored like a bee, depending on the species. A robust, hairy body with a distinctive brown band distinguishes the bee-like moth. The bodies of certain bee hawk moth species are black, white, and yellow, virtually identical to bees.
The transparent wings of the broad-bordered bee hawk-moth are one of its distinguishing characteristics. The wingspan of a bee moth is between 1.5 and 2 inches (4 and 5 cm). Its wings have brown veins and transparent sections between the veins, with a brown border.
Yellow-Jacket Mimic Moth (Pennisetia marginata)
The yellow-jacket mimic moth has a thin body and appears to be a bee. The hairy black and yellow stripes that make up the body of this moth resemble those of a bee. This moth lacks a stinger, despite the fact that it resembles a thin bee. Other factors that distinguish the moth from a bee are more apparent.
This bee lookalike has feathered antennae, for example, as do many moths. The brown moth’s wings may be longer than its body, and they lay against its side. The wings of a bee are clear and lie flat against the body rather than sideways.
Bee Robber Moth (Acherontia styx)
The bee robber moth (Acherontia styx) imitates a bee’s smell and has bee-like markings. The furry moth has a yellow body with black stripes, similar to those of a bee, and is also known as the lesser death’s head hawkmoth. In addition, the bee-like moth mimics a bee’s odor in order to sneak into a hive and steal honey.
The moth is occasionally killed by its bee-mimicking behavior. Dead bee robber moths are occasionally discovered in hives, for example, by beekeepers who have died from bee stings.
Snowberry Clearwing Moth (Hemaris diffinis)
The snowberry clearwing moth (Hemaris diffinis) looks like a bee but is much bigger and has similar coloring to a bumblebee. The snowberry clearwing, on the other hand, has bee-like habits. The tiny, hairless moth is nectar-feeding and hovers around flowers. The moth is twice the size of a normal bee, which is the only difference. The hairy brown moth is 2 inches (5 cm) long. Curled antennae, spindly black legs, and the absence of a stinger are some other distinctions between the moth and bumblebees.
The moth is also known as the “hummingbird” moth because of its flying abilities. This bee mimic, on the other hand, is active during the day and actively seeks nectar sources.
Bee Beetle (Trichius fasciatus)
Another insect with coloring similar to a big bumblebee is the bee beetle (Trichius fasciatus). Because of its yellowish back with black markings, the beetle resembles a bee. Around its abdomen and back, there are also fuzzy white hairs. Throughout the summer, this insect feeds on several flowers and is active at that time.
Beetles are approximately 0.4 inches (1 centimeter) long. This black and yellow insect has three pairs of legs, a robust body, and short antennae, as do all types of beetles.
Four-Spotted Velvet Ant (Dasymutilla quadriguttata)
The four-spotted velvet ant is actually a kind of wasp that has no wings. Nonetheless, it is a kind of wasp and is given the incorrect name. Females walk like ants while males have wings and fly like wasps. A huge brown or black abdomen with four orange or yellow markings distinguishes the orange-brownish “ant.” The unusual-looking “ant” gets its crawling bee appearance from the brown and orange-yellow hues.
The ant has a stinger, like all bees and wasps, in addition to its bee-like colors. It can sting you if you get close to it. In addition, the ant is covered in fine hairs, giving it a velvety texture. Therefore, it’s also known as a velvet ant. Like other wasp species, the insect has spiky legs, bent antennae, and a narrow waist.