Washington State: Spotted the 1st Asian Giant 'Murder Hornet’ Of 2021Zoomen this image toggle caption Karen Ducey/Getty Images Karen Ducey/Getty ImagesWashington State has spotted the first Asian giant "murderhornet" in 2021. It was captured attacking a nest of wasps.On Thursday, Entomologists confirmed that Vespa mandarinia, the largest hornet in the world, was found by an individual living east of Blaine, British Columbia, Canada, at the border of Canada.Sven Spichiger, state entomologist and Sven Spichiger stated that the hornet was displaying the same behavior as last year when it attacked paper wasp nests.The sighting was confirmed Thursday at a distance of only 2 miles from the site where the first Asian giant-hornet nest was destroyed in October.A "slightly dry out, dead specimen of the hornet" was found on a Marysville lawn, Washington, in June. It is about 60 miles from Blaine and north of Seattle.Although technically it was the first sighting in 2021, officials from agriculture said that the hornet was likely a remnant of the previous season.The latest sighting of the Asian giant hornet attacking paper wasps might not be so surprising, but honeybees have much more to fear, according to the state agriculture department.According to the news release from the department, "These hornets could attack honey bee colonies in the late summer and early fall." "One small group of Asian giant honeybee hornets could kill an entire honeybee hive within hours."Although no one knows the exact origin of Vespa mandarinia's arrival in America, there have been numerous sightings in Washington since 2019.According to National Geographic, dozens of people are killed each year by the hornets' poisonous venom and large-sized stingers in Japan and China every year. However, there have not been any reported deaths in the United States.The department is interested to track the insects in any case. Spichiger says: "If there are paper wasp nests in your area and you live near them, keep an eye out for them and report any Asian giants hornets that you see. You should also note where they fly to.
