Photo Of The Month

June 2025

This is a featured photo of the month. I will try and update this monthly with a favorite photo.

  • Common Name: Asian Giant Hornet
  • Scientific Name: Vespa mandarinia
  • Date Taken: July 4, 2014
  • Location: Kyushu, Japan
  • Photographer: Howard Cunningham

  • Known as the Asian Giant Hornet, they
    occur in temperate and tropical East Asia,
    including Japan, China, and parts of Korea.
    The world’s largest hornet, queens can grow
    up to 5 cm (2 inches) long, with a wingspan
    up to 7.5 cm (3 inches), and a stinger up to
    6 mm long. They feed primarily on large
    insects, including other hornets and bees,
    and are especially known for raiding
    honeybee hives. They are social insects
    with a queen, workers, and drones.
    Colonies typically live in underground nests,
    often abandoned rodent burrows. In Japan
    dozens of deaths are attributed to hornet
    stings annually. The first confirmed sighting
    in North America occurred in 2019. Efforts
    have been ongoing to locate and eradicate
    nests to prevent establishment.