Asian giant hornet
Predatory hornet, largest in the world
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Key Takeaways
- The Asian giant hornet ( Vespa mandarinia ), also known as the northern giant hornet , and the Japanese giant hornet , is the world's largest hornet.
- It was also briefly found in the Pacific Northwest of North America from late 2019 but was eradicated by December 2024.
- mandarinia creates nests by digging, co-opting pre-existing tunnels dug by rodents, or occupying spaces near rotten pine roots.
- The hornet has a body length of 45 mm ( 1 + 3 ⁄ 4 in), a wingspan around 75 mm (3 in), and a stinger 6 mm ( 1 ⁄ 4 in) long, which injects a large amount of potent venom.
- mandarinia is a species in the genus Vespa , which comprises all true hornets.
The Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia), also known as the northern giant hornet, and the Japanese giant hornet, is the world's largest hornet. It is native to temperate and tropical East Asia, South Asia, mainland Southeast Asia, and parts of the Russian Far East. It was also briefly found in the Pacific Northwest of North America from late 2019 but was eradicated by December 2024.
Asian giant hornets prefer to live in low mountains and forests, while almost completely avoiding plains and high-altitude climates. V. mandarinia creates nests by digging, co-opting pre-existing tunnels dug by rodents, or occupying spaces near rotten pine roots. It feeds primarily on larger insects, colonies of other eusocial insects, tree sap, and honey from honeybee colonies. The hornet has a body length of 45 mm (1+3⁄4 in), a wingspan around 75 mm (3 in), and a stinger 6 mm (1⁄4 in) long, which injects a large amount of potent venom.
Taxonomy and phylogeny
V. mandarinia is a species in the genus Vespa, which comprises all true hornets. Along with seven other species, V. mandarinia is a part of the V. tropica species group, defined by the single notch located on the apical margin of the seventh gastral sternum of the male. The most closely related species within the species group is V. soror. The triangular shape of the apical margin of the clypeus of the female is diagnostic, the vertex of both species is enlarged, and the shape of the apex of the aedeagus is distinct and similar.
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