What is the Asian Hornet?
An invasive non-native hornet originally from Asia. Suspected sightings should be reported immediately. A highly aggressive predator of native insects, posing a significant threat to honey bees and other pollinators. Accidentally introduced to France in 2004 and spreading rapidly.
What does it look like?
A distinctive hornet, smaller than our native species. A key feature is the almost entirely dark abdomen, except for the 4th segment which is yellow.
- Slightly smaller than native hornet
- Dark abdomen, 4th segment yellow
- Bright yellow tips to legs (native hornet dark)
- Entirely brown or black thorax (native hornet more orange)
ASIAN HORNET WATCH – a new app launched to help people quickly and easily report sightings of this invasive species.
Download from the APPLE or ANDROID App stores free of charge.
A simple Monitoring Trap for the Asian Hornet
Follow the instructions at this link to build your own Asian Hornet monitoring traps.
Important Links
If you think you see an Asian Hornet
If you think you have seen an Asian Hornet take a picture and email it with details of where you saw it and your contact information to alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk