Asian Giant Hornet

Asian Giant Hornet facts at a glance

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The world's largest hornet

The Asian giant hornet earns its name: queens can reach about 5 cm in length, with workers a little smaller at around 3.5 to 4.5 cm, and a wingspan approaching 7.5 cm. Its large orange-yellow head, dark thorax and boldly banded abdomen make it unmistakable. Powerful wings let it fly at speeds of up to 40 km/h and cover long distances in a day. This impressive size and strength make it a formidable hunter of other insects.

Hunting and diet

Asian giant hornets are carnivores that prey on other insects, particularly bees and wasps. Adults hunt widely, using their large jaws to dismember prey, and carry protein-rich meat back to feed the colony's developing larvae. They are best known for raiding honeybee hives, where a small group of hornets can slaughter thousands of bees to seize the brood inside. In turn the adult hornets feed largely on sugary secretions produced by their own larvae.

Colony life and life cycle

Like other social wasps, the Asian giant hornet lives in an annual colony that lasts a single year. A mated queen emerges in spring to found a nest, usually in a burrow or hollow at ground level, and raises the first workers herself. Through summer the colony grows as sterile female workers, which live only a few weeks each, expand the nest and gather food. In autumn the colony produces new queens and males; the old colony then dies, and only young mated queens survive the winter to start again.

The sting and danger to people

The Asian giant hornet has a sting several millimetres long that can pierce ordinary clothing, delivering a potent venom. A single sting is very painful, and multiple stings can be dangerous, especially to people who are allergic. In parts of its range it is responsible for a number of deaths each year, usually where victims disturb a nest and are stung many times. That said, the hornet is not aggressive away from its nest and generally ignores people who leave it alone.

Range and habitat

The species is native to eastern and southern Asia, from Japan and the Korean Peninsula through China to parts of Southeast Asia. It favours forests and low mountains, where it can find both prey and suitable ground sites for nesting. Nests are typically hidden underground in abandoned rodent burrows or among tree roots. The hornet is widespread across this range and is classed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

The "murder hornet" reputation

The Asian giant hornet drew worldwide attention when a few individuals turned up in North America, earning it the sensational nickname 'murder hornet'. The alarm centres on its ability to devastate honeybee colonies, which threatens both wild pollinators and beekeeping. Interestingly, some Asian honeybees have evolved a defence, swarming over an intruding hornet and cooking it to death with their combined body heat. Efforts to detect and remove any nests outside its native range aim to protect local bees.

Did you know? Asian Giant Hornet facts

• The Asian giant hornet is the largest hornet in the world, with queens reaching about 5 cm (2 in) long and a wingspan near 7.5 cm (3 in).
• Queens can reach about 5 cm (2 in) long with a wingspan near 7.5 cm (3 in), making it the largest hornet in the world. Workers are somewhat smaller but still much bigger than common wasps.
• They are predators that hunt other large insects, including wasps, mantises, and honey bees, to feed their larvae. Adults themselves feed largely on sugary fluids such as sap and the juices of their prey.
• Their sting is painful and the venom is potent, and many stings can be dangerous, especially to people who are allergic. They are not usually aggressive toward people, though, and tend to sting only when their nest is disturbed.
• Yes. A small group of hornets can raid a honey bee colony and kill thousands of bees to take the nest and feed on the brood. This is a serious threat to honey bees that lack defenses against them.
• Conservation: Least Concern (IUCN).

Diet & feeding

Asian Giant Hornet feeds primarily as a carnivore (insects, especially other bees and wasps). These hornets are predators that hunt large insects, including other wasps, mantises, and especially honey bees, which they carry back to feed their larvae. A small group can raid a honey bee hive, decapitating thousands of be

Adaptations

• The Asian giant hornet is a formidable insect, with queens growing to about 5 cm (2 in) long and large orange heads with prominent jaws. Its body is banded in orange and dark brown, and its wingspan can approach 7.5 cm (3 in). This size makes it the largest hornet species in the world.
• These hornets are predators that hunt large insects, including other wasps, mantises, and especially honey bees, which they carry back to feed their larvae. A small group can raid a honey bee hive, decapitating thousands of bees to claim the nest and its brood. Adult hornets themselves feed largely on sugary fluids from prey and sap.

Behaviour & ecology

• The Asian giant hornet is a formidable insect, with queens growing to about 5 cm (2 in) long and large orange heads with prominent jaws. Its body is banded in orange and dark brown, and its wingspan can approach 7.5 cm (3 in). This size makes it the largest hornet species in the world.
• These hornets are predators that hunt large insects, including other wasps, mantises, and especially honey bees, which they carry back to feed their larvae. A small group can raid a honey bee hive, decapitating thousands of bees to claim the nest and its brood. Adult hornets themselves feed largely on sugary fluids from prey and sap.
• The Asian giant hornet has a long stinger and potent venom that makes its sting very painful. While a single sting is rarely dangerous to a healthy adult, multiple stings can be serious, and people who are allergic are at higher risk. The hornet usually stings only when it or its nest is threatened.

Communication

• Asian Giant Hornet uses scent, posture, and vocal signals to mark territory and coordinate social behaviour.
• Communication intensity often peaks during breeding seasons and territorial disputes.

Habitat & range

Forests and low mountains

Ecological role

Asian Giant Hornet acts as a predator that helps regulate prey populations and maintain balance in forests and low mountains.

Conservation status of the Asian Giant Hornet

Sources & references

This guide is compiled and reviewed against established zoological and conservation references. Key sources for the Asian Giant Hornet:

• IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

  Conservation status (Least Concern) reflects the IUCN Red List category for Vespa mandarinia.

• IUCN Red List — Vespa mandarinia.

  Conservation status (Least Concern) and population trends.

• Animal Diversity Web — Vespa mandarinia. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.

  Life history, morphology, and range.

• Wikipedia — Asian Giant Hornet.

  General taxonomy and overview (cross-check primary sources).

• Global Animal Guide editorial standards

  How we research, source, review, and update every guide for accuracy.