Have you seen an Asian hornet? The GB non-native species secretariat is calling for people to look out for a potentially invasive non-native hornet known as the Asian or Yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina nigrithorax). A major predator of honeybees, the hornet is also known to eat many other species of pollinators including flies and wasps. Bumblebees are not currently thought to be a large part of its diet.
The species has been found in the UK on several occasions since 2016, with an unprecedentedly large number of sightings in autumn 2023. The species has generally been found on the south coast, particularly in Kent but as far west as Fowey in Cornwall, and it has also been found in scattered locations across the rest of the UK.
The Trust is helping to raise awareness of this initiative and is calling on its members, volunteers and citizen scientists to make themselves familiar with the appearance of the Asian or Yellow-legged hornet and to report any sightings to the GB non-native species secretariat.
Records can be submitted via an online form, through the Asian Hornet Watch app available free from iTunes and Google Play, or by emailing alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk.
Note – the Asian hornet should not be confused with harmless native species such as the European hornet (Vespa crabro). A confirmatory photograph is essential and suspected individuals should not be killed where possible to allow them to be tracked to their nest.
Useful links to further information
UK Government advice page on Asian hornet
