Asian Giant Hornet

The Asian giant hornet, also known as the northern 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. Scientific Name: Vespa mandarinia Range: Native to E. & SE. Asia; detected in W. North America 2019–2023 Size: 27–55 mm — world's largest hornet Status: Invasive ID Notes: Massive size. Orange-yellow head with large black eyes. Brown-black and yellow striped abdomen. Behavior / Notes: Nicknamed 'murder hornet' in U.S. media. Devastates honey bee colonies — a few hornets can destroy 30,000-bee hives. Eradication declared successful in Washington state in 2024.