Asian Giant Hornet

  Insects

The Asian Giant Hornet, also known as the “Japanese giant hornet” holds the world record for worlds largest hornet.

They can be found in “East Asia, South Asia, Mainland Southeast Asia, and parts of the Russian Far East.

It was quite recently found in the Pacific Northwest of North America in 2019, with a few more sightings in 2020.

The Asian Giant Hornet creates nests by digging, co-opting pre-existing tunnels dug by rodents, or occupying spaces near rotted pine roots.​

Asian Giant Hornet

It feeds primarily on larger insects, colonies of other eusocial insects, tree sap, and honey from honey bee colonies.

The hornet has a body length of 45 millimetres (1 3⁄4 inches), a wingspan around 75 mm (3 in), and a stinger 6 mm (1⁄4 in) long, which injects a large amount of venom.

Although the scientific literature and official government sources continue to refer to this species by its established common name, the popular media have taken to using the nickname “murder hornet”.

The Asian giant hornet is often confused with the smaller yellow-legged hornet, also known as the Asian hornet, an invasive species of significant concern across Europe, including the UK.

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