Knowra Asian giant hornet Asian giant hornet The Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) is a large social wasp native to East Asia. It hunts insects, raids honeybee colonies, and has a painful sting.
Vespa mandarinia : The scientific species name for the Asian giant hornet, a social wasp native to East Asia. Its species biology underlies the hornet’s hunting, colony behavior, and distinctive appearance.
East Asia : A region encompassing China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Mongolia, and Taiwan. The Asian giant hornet is native to this region.
Beekeeping : The management of honeybee colonies for honey, pollination, and other products. Hornet predation can threaten managed colonies and shape protective practices.
European hornet : A large social wasp, Vespa crabro, native to Europe and parts of Asia and introduced elsewhere. It is a different hornet species often confused with the Asian giant hornet.
Honeybee hive raiding : A predatory attack in which hornets enter a honeybee colony and kill its adult bees and brood. A coordinated raid can overwhelm honeybee defenses and provide prey for hornet larvae.
Japan : An island country in East Asia with a native population of Asian giant hornets. Japanese populations have shaped much of the species’ public profile and research.
Apiculture biosecurity : Practices that prevent and limit the spread of pests and diseases affecting managed honeybee colonies. Monitoring and reporting hornet sightings can help protect apiaries from new incursions.
Asian hornet : The common name for Vespa velutina, a hornet native to Southeast Asia and invasive in parts of Europe. Despite the similar name, it is a separate species from Vespa mandarinia.
Japanese honeybee : A honeybee subspecies native to Japan that defends against hornets by surrounding them in a heat-producing ball. Its collective heat-ball defense can kill an invading giant hornet.
Korea : A peninsula in East Asia divided into North Korea and South Korea, both within the hornet’s native region. The species occurs on the Korean Peninsula as part of its native East Asian range.
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