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.
