Asian Giant Hornet vs European Hornet
The 'murder hornet' headline you've heard about is one of these — but it's the bigger, scarier, less-common one. Tell them apart at a glance.
Asian Giant Hornet
Vespa mandarinia
Slaughters whole bee colonies in hours. Wears a sting that breaks down flesh.
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Asian Hornet (Yellow-Legged Hornet)
Vespa velutina
Major invasive European pest. Hovers at beehives intercepting HONEY BEES — thousands of bees killed daily.
Open the file →The short version
Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) is the world's largest hornet, the apex predator of the Hymenoptera, and the species that hit US headlines as the 'murder hornet' in 2020. Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) is its smaller cousin — invasive across Europe, devastating to honey bees, but not the same insect. Knowing which is which matters because the response is different.
How to tell them apart
- 1
Size: Asian giant hornet workers reach 35-40 mm; Asian hornet workers are 20-25 mm.
- 2
Range: Asian giant hornet is native to East Asia (Japan, Korea, China) with confirmed Pacific Northwest US/BC sightings since 2019; Asian hornet is invasive across western Europe.
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Color: Asian giant hornet has a yellow-orange head and dark abdomen with yellow bands; Asian hornet has a dark thorax, dark abdomen with one yellow segment, and yellow legs.
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Threat to honey bees: both predate honey bees; Asian giant hornet can wipe out a hive in hours via the 'slaughter phase' coordinated attack.
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Sting medical importance: Asian giant hornet sting is one of the most painful insect stings recorded; mass attacks cause 30-50 deaths per year in Japan alone.
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BC pest cousin: see also the bald-faced hornet at /pests/bald-faced-hornet for the BC native that's commonly mistaken for either.