Context: The Northern Giant Hornet, which is nicknamed as the “Murder Hornet” has been eradicated in the United States of America.
Relevance of the Article: Prelims: Key facts about Muder Hornet.
The Northern Giant Hornet - Murder Hornet
Physical Description:
- It is the largest wasp species in the world measuring up to 2 inches long.
- While the queen can reach up to 50 mm (2 inches) in length, the bodies of female workers and male drones are generally somewhat smaller.
- Other Names: Murder Hornet / Japanese giant hornet
- Habitat: Native to subtropical and temperate mountainous regions of Asia, including northern India, Korean peninsula, and Japan.
- Nesting: They build nests underground, often in rotted pine roots or tunnels made by burrowing animals like rodents or snakes. They rarely build nests in human structures.
- Food Habits: Tree resin, nectar, honey, soft fruits, mushrooms, beetles and other insects, and spiders. They are known to attack colonies of wasps and bees, including honeybee hives.
Why are they called Murder Hornet?
- This invasive species was first reported in Washington state (USA) in 2019, and immediately steps were taken to get rid of it as it poses threat to bees and agriculture.
- Due to their co-evolution, the Eastern honeybees of Asia can defend themselves against northern giant hornets. If a hornet worker enters their hive, they surround it until it is at the center of a ball of bees, at which point the bees buzz and flap their wings to generate enough heat to kill the hornet.
- However, domestic honeybees of the US have no such defense against northern giant hornets. It can kill an entire beehive of honeybees in just 90 minutes.
- Thus, they have been dubbed as “Murder Hornets”, as in North America it sparked fears that the destruction of colonies of domestic honeybees could negatively affect agriculture and the U.S. economy.
Threat to Humans:
- They generally do not attack people unless it feels threatened.
- The long stingers can pierce protective clothing, including beekeeper suits.
- They deliver venom that is more toxic than that of the other species of bees and wasps.
- They do not lose their stingers and can thus sting repeatedly.
- The sting can cause anaphylaxis, a potentially fatal allergic response in humans.
- Even if a person is not allergic, the sting is extremely painful and can be crippling or deadly if a swarm attacks.
- They first came into the spotlight in 2013, when they killed at least 42 people in China and seriously injured 1675.
- Roughly 30 to 50 people die each year in Japan from northern giant hornet stings, usually due to allergic reactions.