First 2021 Asian Hornet Found in Washington State

1
930
Earlier this summer, to keep the invasive insect contained, the Washington State Department of Transportation announced that they would set up 1,200 giant hornet traps across the state. ( Yasunori Koide via Wikicommons under CC BY 4.0)

The First Living Asian Giant ‘Murder’ Hornet of 2021 Has Been Found in Washington State

By Elizabeth Gamillo/Smithsonianmag.com

On August 12, Washington state entomologists confirmed this year’s first live sighting of an Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia)—also known as a murder hornet for its ability to decimate honeybee hives, according to NPR’s Scott Neuman. The hornet was found attacking a paper wasp nest in a rural town east of Blaine, Washington—only two miles away from where the first live nest in the United States was eradicated in fall 2020.

The orange-and-black striped Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) measures up to a hefty two inches with a three-inch wingspan, making it the biggest hornet on the planet. Its piked mandibles strong enough to rip the heads off honeybees, and potent venom earn it the nickname, the murder hornet. The insects are native to East Asia and Japan but have spread to other regions, like the United States.



“This hornet is exhibiting the same behavior we saw last year – attacking paper wasp nests,” said Washington state entomologist Sven Spichiger said in a statement.

Read More:

 

ATTENTION READERS

We See The World From All Sides and Want YOU To Be Fully Informed
In fact, intentional disinformation is a disgraceful scourge in media today. So to assuage any possible errant incorrect information posted herein, we strongly encourage you to seek corroboration from other non-VT sources before forming an educated opinion.

About VT - Policies & Disclosures - Comment Policy
Due to the nature of uncensored content posted by VT's fully independent international writers, VT cannot guarantee absolute validity. All content is owned by the author exclusively. Expressed opinions are NOT necessarily the views of VT, other authors, affiliates, advertisers, sponsors, partners, or technicians. Some content may be satirical in nature. All images are the full responsibility of the article author and NOT VT.

1 COMMENT

Comments are closed.