The Asian hornet is very aggressive and much more dangerous than regular hornets or wasps. His stings can be fatal to humans - the media scare. However, this information relates to a different species of hornet than the one that is approaching Poland. It turns out that the Asian hornet, which has already reached northern Germany and may soon appear in our country, is not so dangerous. What should I know about the Asian hornet?

Asian hornetis a colloquial name used for two species of hornets -Vespa mandariniaandVespa velutina. These Asian hornet species are found naturally in China, northern India, and Southeast Asia.

Asian hornetVespa velutinaappeared in South-Western Europe in 2004. He came to us from Asia via the French port of Bordeaux, probably along with Chinese porcelain, although another version says that on containers importing timber from the east.

Initially, its colonies were observed only in France. However, since 2004, the species' range has increased by an average of 100 km per year (in each direction) and is increasingly extending beyond the borders of France. The Asian hornet is already in the UK, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. In 2022, it appeared in the south-western Länder, and at the beginning of this year - in the northern Länder, so very close to Poland.

The colonization of the Asian hornet in colder climatic areas is a new phenomenon.Until now, it was believed that it prefers warmer zones. It is also not known whether it can create a strong, stable population in new areas of expansion.

Two species of Asian hornets are confused: Vespa velutina and Vespa mandarinia

The hornet that is now inhabiting Europe is an Asian species called Vespa velutina, specifically Vespa velutina nigrithorax. This name has no scientific equivalent in Polish (the term Asian hornet is incorrect²). For this reason, it is often confused with another species of Asian hornet - Vespa mandarinia.

Vespa mandarinia is extremely large, virulent and dangerous, but thankfully hasn't made it to Europe yet.

Asian hornet - what does it look like?

The Asian hornet, Vespa velutina, is generally black in color with wide orange stripes on the body and a soft yellow stripe on the first segment. When viewed from the front, his head is orange and his legs are yellow.

For this reason, it is also referred to as the yellow-legged hornet. Workers reach 20 mm, drones up to 24 mm, the queen grows up to 30 mm. They are therefore slightly smaller than our native species of hornet, the Vespa crabro. Therefore, the Polish and Asian hornets will be difficult to distinguish.

Vespa mandarinia looks different. The length of its body is from 2.5 to 4.5 cm (queens), the wingspan reaches 7.6 cm. They are so big that they resemble little birds in flight. In Japan, these hornets are called "suzumebachi", which translates as "passerine wasp" .³

See gallery 4 photos

Asian hornet - is the bite dangerous?

The Vespa velutina hornet bite is comparable to the Polish hornet bite, so it is very painful, but not too dangerous for a he althy person. This species is potentially fatal to allergy sufferers who may even experience anaphylactic shock after stings. Since 2004, 3 deaths have been reported after being stung by Vespa velutin (this number has been reported) .¹

The sting by the hornet Vespa mandarinia, which is very painful, can have serious consequences. Some people compare his sting to the impact of driving a hot nail into the leg. The worst of all is that when stinging, the insect secretes pheromones that attract other individuals - the likelihood of being stung repeatedly increases then .³

It is estimated that about 400 people die each year in Japan as a result of attacks by the Asian hornet. Most fatalities are people who are allergic. However, the venom of this insect - due to the content of a strong neurotoxin (professionally called mandarotoxin) - can also be dangerous for people who do not have allergies.

  • Stinging by a bee or wasp - how to give first aid?
  • How to protect yourself from the BITTING of wasps and bees?

The hornet Vespa velutina is not particularly dangerous to humans, but poses a serious threat to biodiversity. V. velutina contributes to the loss of honey bee colonies .¹Up to 20-30 individuals can feed in front of one hive. It is estimated that hornets from only one nest are able to kill about 20,000. bees per year.

It is believed that V. velutina may also be a vector of various species of parasites, e.g. IAPV (Israeli paralysis virus), which contribute tothe death of bees .²

  • BEES - do bees sting? What does a bee look like?

Bees protect themselves from hornets in hives. This, in turn, limits their pollinating function, affecting plant reproduction and agricultural produce. The natural enemies of hornets are few and far between.

In addition to losses resulting from not pollinating plants, there is also an additional threat - to the population of birds that feed on bees.

Asian hornet - how to defend yourself?

The only solution is to poison insect nests with insecticides. For this purpose, you should report to a specialized company. It is worth knowing that hornet nests can be found on tree tops, high roofs, and even in dense hedges.

Asian hornet

Source: youtube.com/Teraz Środowisko

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