Yellow-legged Hornet
Vespa velutina
A foraging worker can hover almost motionless in mid-air to intercept and snatch flying honey bees returning to their hive.
- Scientific name
- Vespa velutina
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Hymenoptera › Vespidae › Vespa
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- increasing
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Temperate and subtropical forests, woodland edges, agricultural land, and urban parks.
- Diet
- Adults feed on tree sap, ripe fruit, and nectar, while feeding larvae chewed protein primarily sourced from honey bees, flies, and other insects.
- Range
- East Asia, Southeast Asia, Western Europe, Southern Europe
- Size
- Workers are 17–24 mm long; queens reach up to 30 mm
- Lifespan
- 30–55 days for workers; up to 1 year for queens
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Targeted eradication and nest destruction within its introduced invasive range, along with harsh winter freezes.
- Safe to approach?
- Defensive and dangerous. Workers deliver painful, venomous stings and vigorously defend nests within a 5 to 10-meter radius. Do not approach or disturb visible nests in trees, hedges, or buildings. If stung, wash the area with soap and water, apply cold compresses, and seek emergency medical care immediately if you experience breathing difficulty, swelling of the face, or multiple stings.
The Asian hornet , also known as the yellow-legged hornet ( Vespa velutina ), is a species of hornet indigenous to Southeast Asia. It is of concern as an invasive species in some other countries.
Photo: BlueGinkgo, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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