Features of the behavior of the giant hornet. Giant Asian murder hornet

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In spring many country houses become a haven for hornets. In this regard, the owners are interested in the question of where the giant hornet is found and whether it could pose a danger to Russian owners of suburban real estate. First of all, it should be noted that giant hornets are not found on European territory, but in Asian countries they pose a fairly large threat not only to the health, but also to the lives of people.

Who are hornets

Hornets are large insects, reaching a size of 5.5 cm. The hornet's sting, 6 mm long, is especially dangerous. Using it when biting, the insect injects poison, which has a strong toxic effect. Scientists have found that the poison contains dangerous substance neurotoxin that can block cells nervous system. There are cases where people died after several insect bites.

Hornets are predators. They, like their close relatives wasps, feed on smaller insects. Flying hunters like to place their nests in houses and on the plots of gardeners and vegetable gardeners, where many harmful insects accumulate, attracted by the smell of cultivated plants. At the same time, being orderlies, hornets are capable of biting humans, so getting rid of a dangerous neighbor is simply necessary.

The Asian giant hornet is widespread in the region from India to China and Korea, and is found in Japan and the Far East. The lifespan of an insect colony consisting of tens of thousands of individuals is short: about 8-12 months, but during this time it is capable of killing several people.

The formation of a colony begins with the hornet's uterus. Waking up after hibernation, she builds a nest, then lays eggs in it. After 3-4 weeks, the colony is replenished with thousands of individuals playing the role of soldiers or workers. The main task of hornets is to obtain food, which is necessary for the larvae maturing in their houses. The giant hornet has large and powerful jaws, with which it easily bites insects and grinds them into a sticky mass. This protein “porridge” serves as food for future individuals.

Some subspecies of Asian hornets are distinguished not only by their enormous size, but also by their color, due to which they are called marbled. Like their closest relatives, marbled hornets build nests from young tree bark, grinding it into a paper-like mixture held together with sticky saliva.

The Asian giant hornet causes the greatest harm to apiaries, destroying domestic bees. Within a few hours, 2-3 dozen hornets can kill an entire swarm of bees. They eat honey, and take pupae and larvae of bees to the nest to feed their offspring.

How to avoid hornet stings

Despite their aggressive appearance, hornets will never attack a person first. There must be some reason for the attack: most often it is the presence of a person near the nest. As a rule, the nest is constantly guarded by several individuals, which make characteristic sounds when in danger. At the signal, the rest of the hornets flock and together attack the enemy.

To avoid insect bites, you should:

• when going into the forest, behave extremely carefully and avoid places where hornets may be located;
• when you find a nest, do not touch it, do not shake it or throw it to the ground;
• do not try to catch an insect;
• do not wave your arms or make sudden movements;
• do not kill or attack an insect near the nest, as the distress signals it sends will cause a whole swarm of angry hornets to appear;
• exercise extreme caution when collecting berries and fruits from the garden (hornets love to feast on sweet fruits and gradually bite into their pulp completely);
• do not use deodorants and food fragrances that can cause alarms (for example, apple and banana fragrances containing C5 and C10 esters and alcohols).

If the hornet does bite, the consequences will depend on the location and number of bites. Thus, the sting of a common hornet is capable of releasing up to 2 mg of poison at one time, while the substance is less toxic than the poison of ordinary domestic bees. The venom of Asian individuals is more toxic, which is why the symptoms are more pronounced. With a local reaction the following will be observed:

• burning severe pain;
• inflammation;
• swelling.

In addition, if a person is bitten by an Asian hornet, symptoms such as:

• dizziness and headache;
• dyspnea;
• convulsions;
• increased body temperature;
• nausea and vomiting;
• decrease in pressure;
• difficulty breathing.

In order to minimize the impact of toxins on the body, it is necessary to wipe the wound that received the sting with hydrogen peroxide or a solution of potassium permanganate and apply a heating pad to the bitten area. cold water or ice.

The fight against insects must begin in the spring, when the colony has not yet grown.

First of all, you need to find a nest. What does an insect nest look like? It can be located in the attic, in another secluded area of ​​the house or under the roof. Here you should look at a gray spherical structure, which can measure up to 60-70 cm in height and resembles a huge fruit.

The poison itself contains a large number of histamine is a substance responsible for the rapid development of allergies. In addition to this, the components included in the hornet's venom stimulate the release of their own histamine by tissue cells that were directly stung and began to swell.

The human body's standard response to a bite giant hornet There is widespread inflammation, redness and hardening of tissues, enlarged lymph nodes and fever. If the victim is particularly sensitive to insect venoms, after being bitten by the world's largest hornet, he may develop anaphylactic shock.

In this most life-threatening situation, time is counted not by hours, but by minutes. If the victim is not taken to the hospital in time, the likelihood of death is very high.

“Several times a year, local residents are admitted to our hospital after being bitten by Vespa Mandarinia. This year there were already two, last year there were four people. One of those four died because the hornets bit his neck and he was unable to breathe due to swelling. He was brought to the hospital in a state of clinical death, and we were never able to start the heart’s function after asphyxia.”

To Nga, Maoming

Lifestyle and habitats of giant hornets

The largest hornets lead the same lifestyle as their other relatives. They live mainly in forests and stay fairly close to water sources. To reproduce, the female begins to build a nest, lays eggs in the first honeycombs of which, and then raises the working hornets that emerge from them.

After this, her duties are reduced only to the continuous laying of eggs, and all work in the nest falls on the shoulders of the working individuals.

They build their hornets from young tree bark, which they chew and turn into a parchment-like mass.

Externally, the nest resembles a huge light gray fruit, the height of which can reach 70-80 cm and the width up to half a meter. Hornets can place their homes either openly, hanging them from tree branches, or hide them from prying eyes in hollows, caves and burrows.

Once a year a large number of females and males appear in the nest. In conditions of severe overpopulation, they fly out of the nest, swarm and mate. After this, the females go to look for places for new, now their own, nests, and the males die.

A little about predatory habits

Like all other hornets, Asian giants are active predators. They eat and feed their offspring mainly with animal food, most often with other arthropods. These huge predators do not disdain their relatives, who are more modest in size.

This insect fully justifies the status of “the largest hornet in the world”: attacks on the nests of other, smaller species of hornets are very common. At the same time, the giants completely destroy the homes of their relatives and destroy all working individuals and larvae.

Especially often, giant hornets attack bees, hunting not only the owners of the hive themselves, but also their honey (adult hornets are very fond of sweets). 30-40 hornets can be completely destroyed in a few hours bee family of 20-30 thousand bees.

As you can see, the forces in such an attack are unequal, so beekeepers in China and Japan are very actively destroying the nests of giant hornets and doing their best to scare them away from their apiaries.

What to do if you are stung by a giant hornet

You can easily meet the largest hornet in the world on vacation in China, Nepal, India, Malaysia or Japan. It is worth noting that, even without leaving your country, you can also come across a giant hornet: it inhabits Primorye in sufficient numbers.

There is one recommendation that allows you to remain safe and sound when meeting a huge insect: you should not make sudden movements or wave your arms. In relation to humans, the giant hornet is peaceful and will never attack first without a special reason.

Usually the attack is caused by a person trying to catch an insect or photograph it up close, and one should not be surprised at all if a hornet attacks while trying to “examine” its nest.

In order to avoid various unpleasant consequences, you just need to move away from the place where the hornet was seen - this will be the best option.

However, let's define an algorithm for helping the victim if a bite does occur.

1. You should immediately apply cold to the affected area, preferably wet sugar. This will slow down the spread of poison through tissues.
2. If possible, you need to give the stung person an injection of an antihistamine - Suprastin or Diphenhydramine - as soon as possible (an injection of adrenaline would be optimal).
3. After this, the person must be laid down so that his head is not raised. Do not forget to carefully monitor the appearance of symptoms at all times. allergic reaction!
4. If swelling spreads quickly, asthmatic breathing appears, or the temperature rises, the victim should be immediately taken to the hospital, if necessary, performing artificial respiration along the way.

In most cases, giant hornet bites occur due to human carelessness. With reasonable behavior and proper observation, this large insect can always be noticed before it senses danger and retreat. This would be the optimal outcome of a meeting between a reasonable person and the largest hornet in the world.

Interesting video: Asian hornets attack a beehive

Giant hornet in human hands

And in this video you can clearly see the powerful jaws of the giant hornet

Asia's largest deadly insect, it is a giant of the insect world and the largest wasp on the planet.

They live in many areas of Asia from India to Japan, and are found in Korea, China, and also in the Primorsky Territory of Russia.

The body length of the giant hornet reaches 5 cm and is the most poisonous hornet in the world.

It can kill with one bite; the sting, more than 0.5 cm long, injects a complex mixture of enzymes that destroys tissue. The poison contains a neurotoxin that disables the nervous system; an allergic reaction can cause death.

A colony of Asian giant hornets lives only 6 months a year, but during this time they manage to kill about 40 people.

In spring, the queen awakens from hibernation and builds a nest on a dry tree or in a hole in the ground. Here she lays eggs that will turn into workers or soldiers of the hive. Within a few weeks, the hive population increases to several thousand individuals.

Countless larvae scratch the walls of their rooms, thus signaling that they are hungry. They feed on meat that adults bring to them. To feed the ever-hungry larvae, the scout hornet constantly flies out of the nest in search of food.

All sisters serve their queen. Like most wasps, they are carnivores and eat other insects, such as praying mantises. Powerful mandibles or pincers decapitate the victim.

But the hornet does not kill to satisfy its own hunger; it chews its prey into a sticky protein mass, and then brings food back to the hive to feed hundreds of insatiable young.

During the summer, Asian giant hornets are constantly looking for food. When hornets discover a beehive, they mark it with pheromones, which they secrete from glands located on the back of their bodies. This is a signal to attack. Pheromones attract other Asian giant hornets to the hive, where they begin their attack.

But their success does not depend on their number; just one of these hornets can kill more than 300 bees in 1 hour. The Asian giant hornet is much more aggressive than bees. These are cruel, merciless insects.

Obeying instinct, bees guard their hive, but they cannot resist insects that are 5 times their size. In just a few hours, a small group of Asian giant hornets destroys almost 30,000 bees, wiping out the entire colony. This phenomenon cannot be called a battle; rather, it is mass destruction. Once in a bee hive, the hornets not only feast on honey, they take with them the larvae and pupae of bees, which they will feed their offspring for several weeks.

In order for the scout hornet not to have time to signal to its relatives about the location of the bee hive, the bees must find and kill it. How does this happen?

While keeping an eye on the enemy at the hive gate, the war bees retreat a little and begin to vibrate. These vibrations let other bees know about the attack. They lure the hornet into the hive, and when it kills several bees that specifically sacrifice themselves, the rest attack the scout hornet.

The defenders rush at him and capture him with a wave of their bodies. But they do not sting him, but surround the invader with a dense ring. By vibrating their bellies, they create a ball of heat, in the center of which the hornet is located.

Bees can withstand temperatures up to 50 degrees, and hornets only 46 degrees. The temperature in the center of a dense ring of bees is 47 degrees. For about 20 minutes the bees squeeze the hornet, they themselves die, but others come to take their place.

Their the main objective- do not release the hornet. When the bees manage to cope with the scout hornet, their colony will be saved for some time until other scouts find their nest and notify their relatives.

They also attack. Despite all the caution of the praying mantis, the hornet is a killing machine. With just one bite of their powerful jaws, they decapitate their prey.

Poisonous insects cause many unpleasant moments to humans. Their bites are painful and contribute to the development of an allergic reaction. Moreover, the larger the representative of this family, the greater the likelihood of complications. The most unpleasant thing will be an encounter with the largest wasp in the world. Vespa mandarinia received this name among the people. This huge insect not only bites painfully, but is also poisonous, so a tumor may appear at the site of the wound, and in some cases, an encounter with it ends in death. And to avoid such problems you need to get to know the enemy better. That's what we will do in this article.

The giant hornet lives in South-East Asia and on the territory of Primorsky Krai. And it is called a giant hornet for its huge size by insect standards. Its body length is 5 cm, and its wingspan is up to 6.5 cm. The sting of the largest wasp in the world is no less impressive and reaches 6 cm in length, therefore, the dose of injected poison will be much greater than from an ordinary wasp. In addition to size, it differs from its relatives in one more parameter. Compared to them, it is the most poisonous. Therefore, it is considered the most dangerous insect in the world.

Comparison: Left - giant hornet, right - wasp

In terms of body structure and color, the giant hornet has much in common with the ordinary European representative of this family. He, like the latter, has 3 small eyes on his head in addition to two large ones.

Its length can reach 5 cm, and its wingspan can be up to 7.5 cm.

They help the largest wasp better navigate in space, especially in the dark. The back of the body is decorated with three black and yellow stripes. In flight, this monster resembles a small bird.

In addition to the two main eyes, there are three additional eyes in the center of the head

As for the differences between these two individuals, there are much more of them than the similarities. These include:

• Size
• Darker color on the front of the body, with a pattern on the back
• Black color of large eyes
• Bright yellow, almost orange head.

The European brother of this largest wasp does not have such a bright color, and its length is much shorter.

What does it eat?

Giant hornets, like all their relatives, are predators. Therefore, their main food is arthropods, including their smaller close relatives. They attack nests, destroying them and destroying both workers and larvae.

Bees suffer the most from such attacks. In this case, the huge hornet hunts not only its owners, but also honey. Adults of this species love sweets and are dangerous enemies of domestic bees. In a few hours, a swarm of these giants can destroy a lot of bees, up to 30 thousand, thereby causing irreparable harm to the owner of the apiary.

30-40 giant hunters can destroy a bee family of 20-30 thousand bees in a few hours.

Where does it live and how does it reproduce?

The largest hornet in the world builds its nest from tree bark chewed and soaked in salivary secretions. This is done exclusively by the queen. She begins construction in the spring and as soon as the honeycomb cells are ready, she lays eggs in them. They will hatch into future soldiers and workers. As they grow older, they help the queen with the construction of the nest. She, in turn, makes laying eggs her first priority and does nothing else. A few weeks later, the colony already numbers several thousand individuals. In total, one family exists for 6 months.

The dwelling has a huge light gray fruit, the height can reach up to 80 cm, and the width can reach up to 50 cm in diameter.

The nest of these insects is the largest hive in the world. It is light gray in color and resembles a huge fruit, up to 70 cm high and about half a meter in diameter. The nest can be placed either in a hollow or suspended on tree branches.

Larvae develop from eggs in 5 to 8 days. Adults feed them with killed insects.

Feeding the growing larvae rests entirely on the shoulders of the workers. They are all over daylight hours They kill small insects and, after chewing them, regurgitate the pulp to the young. Unlike larvae, adult individuals, although carnivorous, do not refuse to feast on fruits, vegetables, and even meat or fish.

After construction is completed, the female lays eggs in honeycombs, the number of which can reach 500 pieces

Despite the fact that these hell hornets are poisonous, they prefer to kill their prey with the help of their powerful jaws. Their strength is so great that they can easily cope with the chitinous shells of other insects.

As autumn approaches, the queen stops laying eggs and the colony gradually dies out. The females remaining after fertilization look for secluded places for wintering. Males die immediately after mating. At the same time, the colony no longer returns to last year’s nest.

How dangerous is the giant hornet to humans?

The venom of this insect is dangerous to human life. Therefore, it is better not to meet these giants. After all, even with a single bite, about 2 mg of poison enters the human body, which can lead to the development of allergies and even anaphylactic shock.

Even if you have a strong immune system, you still won’t be able to avoid:

• Severe pain at the site of the bite;
• Extensive swelling;
• Increase in temperature.

For allergy sufferers, it is the largest among insects and can be fatal. If you are attacked by several individuals, then tissue necrosis and even damage may develop. internal organs.

The poison contains a large amount of histamine, a substance responsible for the rapid development of allergies.

Therefore, the standard symptoms will be:

• Enlarged lymph nodes
• Redness and hardening of tissue at the site of the bite
• Extensive inflammation and swelling.

And to avoid them, you should not contact this giant from the wasp family. Everyone needs to try possible ways avoid communicating with him.

After an insect bite, extensive inflammation, redness and hardening of tissues, and enlarged lymph nodes appear.

How to behave near the nest of a huge wasp?

Since this insect settles in a colony, at the first sign of danger it secretes a hormone, which is a danger signal for the rest. Therefore, when passing by the hive of these giants you cannot:

• Knock on the tree it's located on
• Try to peek at him or damage him
• Make sudden movements, wave your arms
• Run away.

Any of the listed actions may seem like a threat to the inhabitants of the colony, to which they will certainly respond with aggression, protecting their offspring and all the inhabitants of the nest.

In addition, do not try to kill a hornet flying near you if its habitat is nearby. During death, he also gives a signal to his fellow tribesmen, and they, trying to protect their offspring, will show aggression. They may even decide to attack you, and bites from several individuals can be fatal.

Interesting video:Lifestyle of giant insects

The largest insects in the world belong to and resemble them in appearance, surpassing them only in size. The giant Asian hornet is the most dangerous in the world, because it kills several dozen people every year. Another species is the black hornet, although smaller in size, different in an original way reproduction.

Varieties of giant hornets

There are 23 species living on our planet, the lifestyle of which has much in common, and external characteristics differ in size, color, and there are differences in nutrition and behavior. The most gigantic and dangerous insect for humans is the species of Asian hornet (Vespa Mandarinia), which lives in the forests of Southeast Asia and the Far East, in subtropical regions Central Asia, Southern Europe, in North Africa and in the Middle East.

Depending on the habitat, Asian Mandarins are divided into several subspecies: for example, they live in Japan, in China - Chinese, etc.

The following types of giant hornets also include:

• Orientals, considered the most beautiful among their brethren, are red-brown in color and have 3 yellow stripes on their bellies. They live in arid zones of Russia and the Middle East, preferring dry steppes and deserts.
• The black or Dybowski hornet (Vespa dybowskii) differs from other species in that it nests in the already built houses of its fellows, first killing the queen and all the inhabitants.
• The African hornet is one of the subspecies of the Asian “giant wasp”; it is also yellow-black in color, but lives in North African countries: Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Somalia, Sudan, etc.

Interesting!

In nature, in the southern regions of Europe, in the Crimea or the Caucasus, in the Middle East, you can find black hornets with blue wings, quite large in size - up to 28 mm. However, according to biological classification they are named and are representatives of the bee family.

Description of the Asian giant

And the largest hornets on Earth are the Asian giant hornets, which can be found in the forests of not only Asia, but also other countries, which should be taken into account by tourists planning to visit exotic corners of the planet.

Externally, the Asian hornet looks like a huge yellow-black wasp with a wingspan of up to 7.5 cm, so it is impossible not to notice it.

Interesting!

IN different countries local residents call it “sparrow bee” or “tiger bee” not only for its size and the presence of black and yellow stripes, but also for mortal danger bites that cause severe toxic poisoning in humans, and can be fatal in allergy sufferers.

The body of the giant Asian Mandarin reaches 5 cm in length, is colored with yellow and black stripes, the chest is almost completely brown or black. Unlike European species, the head has bright yellow color, she has a long mustache. The number of his eyes is 5: in addition to the usual 2, his forehead is decorated with 3 additional organs of vision, which allow him to better navigate in space and terrain, distinguish colors (see photo of himself big hornet and his eyes).

According to its feeding method, it is a predator that actively hunts small insects, including pests. However, giant hornets also destroy beneficial bees, causing severe damage to apiaries. Their larger sizes allow them to obtain more food, which is inaccessible to their smaller relatives. They also love to feast on sweet fruits and berries, juices or nectar.

Asian hornet venom and consequences of a bite

A characteristic feature of giant murder hornets is the ability to use their sting to repeatedly bite and inject toxic venom into the body of the victim. The substance formed in the body of the insect has a complex composition and has a strong poisoning ability.

The main components of the venom of Asian giant hornets:

• histamine, which promotes swelling and an allergic reaction;
• Mandorotoxin - refers to a type of neurotoxin that affects the blocking of the nervous system of mammals;
• acetylcholine - a substance released during a bite, which attracts other hornets with its smell, after which the victim is attacked by several relatives at once;
• toxic substances that have a melting effect on the victim’s tissue, which causes severe pain and even shock.

The human body's reaction to a hornet sting usually manifests itself almost instantly: severe inflammation, swelling and hardening occur at the site of injection of the poison, and blood flow (hyperemia). Then the temperature begins to rise, enlarged lymph nodes, shortness of breath and headaches, and an attack of palpitations. In a situation where a person prone to allergies is attacked, asphyxia (suffocation) may develop within almost a few minutes, which can lead to death.

Due to the fact that hornets often attack with the entire “army,” as a result of numerous bites, a completely healthy person may develop tissue necrosis and extensive hemorrhages in the internal organs.

Interesting!

Every year on Japanese islands About 70 people die from the bites of giant hornets, which exceeds the mortality rate from the bites of any large or small wild animals and indicates the extreme danger of the “Asian killers.”

Life cycle

The habitat of most Asian hornets in Russia is Far East, as well as forested areas of China, Japan, India and Korea. After hibernation, the queen, fertilized in the fall, is looking for a place to build. Construction material for it is the bark of trees chewed by the jaws, from which the “builders” form honeycombs and a house in the form of a cocoon; it is hung on tree branches or hidden in a hollow or cave.

After construction, the female lays eggs in honeycombs and secures them with a sticky mass. As they mature, larvae appear, which are fed by workers of the colony, for which they bring small insects from hunting, which they first partially chew in their mouths.

In almost 2 weeks, the larvae grow into full-fledged female hornets and drones, which are engaged in further construction of the nest. In total, the queen can lay up to 500 eggs in a colony.

Interesting!

At the end warm season the female and working males die, only fertilized individuals - the future founders of colonies - remain alive.

Hunting tactics of giant hornets

All months, from spring to colder weather in autumn, from early morning to late evening, Asian hornets hunt to obtain food for the larvae developing in the nest. Flying through the forest, scouts look for small insects, as well as bee hives. Having discovered them, they mark them with a special substance containing odorous pheromones. The attractive aroma attracts worker hornets, which kill the entire population of the colony and take away the honey and larvae.

On a note!

According to scientists, in one hunting operation, aggressive “conquerors” can destroy a colony of 30 thousand bees. However, the inhabitants of the hive do not always give up without a fight; sometimes they manage to kill the scout before the signal is given and can save their offspring from death. To do this, they lure it inside the hive, where, using vibration of the wings, they increase the air temperature to +50ºС, which causes overheating and death of the scout hornet.

For a lone insect caught on the road by a “hunter”, there is no way to escape. When attacked, the predator manages to quickly inject a paralyzing poison, and then chews the prey with its powerful jaws. It only takes a few seconds to decapitate a praying mantis, which is larger than an Asian wasp.

The habitat of this species: Primorye and Transbaikalia in Russia, as well as Asian countries: China, India, Burma, Japan and Korea, Thailand. The size of the body is up to 31 mm in females, 22-25 mm in males.

On a note!

The color of the insects is very different from the “giant wasps”: the abdomen is black, the head has a red and black pattern, the wings are dark brown, as can be seen in the photo of the black hornet below.

Having penetrated inside, the black female kills the queen of the colony and takes her place, camouflaging herself with the help of special pheromones. She lays her own fertilized eggs, and the workers, not noticing the replacement, begin to feed her larvae and serve the new queen.

When the number of mature black females and males has increased sufficiently, they leave the colony and mate. Later, the males die, and the females hibernate in the bark of trees or look for the next nest to establish their home.

How to avoid hornet stings

If you encounter “giant wasps” in nature, you should behave carefully and not panic. Such insects never attack humans on their own, but only when there is a threat of destruction of their nest or causing damage.

Therefore, when in the forest near beehives or flying “giant wasps”, you must adhere to following rules behavior:

• they should never be caught or disturbed;
• it is dangerous for life to approach the nest or try to touch it;
• You cannot make sudden movements or knock on trees, because “giant wasps” understand such actions as a threat;
• if you kill one hornet, the whole family will fly to the smell it gives off;
• the smells of bananas or apples can provoke an attack, so it is not recommended to use cosmetics with such scents when going into the forest.

It should be remembered that giant hornets are forest orderlies, destroying many types of pests; there are few of them left in nature, which is why they are listed in the Red Book.

One of the most unpleasant moments accompanying travel to exotic countries, is the prospect of meeting poisonous representatives of the local insect world. One of these creatures is the world's largest hornet with beautiful name Vespa Mandarinia, native to Asia. What this huge relative of the wasps and bumblebees we are used to is and what the threat of its bite is is the topic of our review.

What does the largest hornet look like?

Those who have ever seen a common European hornet ( Latin name- Vespa Crabro), can easily imagine Vespa Mandarinia, mentally enlarging the familiar insect by about two times. Otherwise, representatives of these two species look approximately the same, although there are still some minor differences between them.

Did you know? The most small insect on the planet has a body length of 139 microns, and the largest-grows up to 60 cm or more. The name of the first is Dicopomorpha echmepterygis, the second is Phasmatodea.

For clarity features the Chinese giant and its European relative are given in table form:

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To give a more visual idea of ​​the true size of the Asian hornet, it is enough to say that the length of its body from the top of its head to the tip of its sting is approximately equal to the length of the little finger of an adult man, and its wingspan is only slightly less than the width of a human palm.

Insect life cycle

It should be noted that the gigantic size that distinguishes Vespa Mandarinia from more than two dozen of its closest relatives from the genus Vespa is a striking example of evolutionary struggle and the ability of species to adapt to unfavorable conditions environment.

In addition, in the rich diversity of the animal world, which is characteristic of tropical countries, large and poisonous insects have a much greater chance of finding food for themselves and not becoming victims themselves natural enemies than their smaller and more harmless fellow tribesmen.

Otherwise, the life cycle of these giants is practically no different from that which is characteristic of other species of hornets. Insects live in nests that they build directly on the ground. The material for making the nest is thin and soft (young or, on the contrary, rotten) tree bark, which the female first grinds with her powerful jaws and then glues with viscous saliva. In appearance, such a structure is very reminiscent of paper.

Important! For all inhabitants of areas with hot climates, the possibility of survival directly depends on heat transfer. One of the methods to increase this indicator is big square body, providing better cooling.

With the retreat of cold weather, even before starting to build a nest, the queen lays several eggs at the place chosen for the future home and then begins to build a honeycomb house over them. In the first days after laying, the queen takes care of all the nutritional needs of the future offspring on her own. After about a week, a larva emerges from the egg, transforming over the course of another two weeks, first into a pupa, and then into a young hornet.

Further functions of the offspring in the nest are distributed as follows:

Where does it live?

As the name suggests, the habitat of the giant hornet is Asia, more precisely the eastern, and also partly its southern and northern parts.

The list of states whose territory Vespa Mandarinia has chosen for itself includes:

• Japan;
• People's Republic of China;
• Taiwan;
• India;
• Sri Lanka;
• Nepal;
• North Korea;
• South Korea;
• Thailand;
• Russian Federation (Jewish Autonomous Region, Primorsky and partly Khabarovsk Territory).

Did you know? Due to its enormous size, the Chinese called the Asian hornet “tiger bee”, and the inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun called it “sparrow bee”.

Good ability to adapt to changing conditions allows Asian hornets to master different areas of geospace, and yet favorite place their habitats are sparse forests, well-lit groves and other areas protected by high vegetation. These insects almost never choose steppes, deserts and highlands to build nests.

What does it eat?

Asian hornet practically omnivorous. Its most common food is insects (including smaller hornets), but this giant can just as readily eat fruits, berries, flower nectar, and even meat or fish. Plant food Suitable only for adult hornets; larvae require products of animal origin.

The hornet obtains food using primarily its powerful jaws, the sting is a tool for protection, not for hunting. Using its jaws, the Asian giant captures prey, kills and then butchers it.

Methods for destroying nests

The greatest harm that Vespa Mandarinia brings to humans lies not in its toxic poison, but in invasions of apiaries. Suffering especially badly from the invasion of killer insects Agriculture Japan, India and Thailand.

Did you know? A dozen Asian hornets can destroy up to 10,000 honey bees in a season.

Consequently, having discovered an Asian hornet nest, people usually try to get rid of such a neighborhood. The problem, however, is that mechanical destruction of a home poisonous insect- a dangerous task and almost impossible in practice. Hornets are capable of desperately defending themselves and, when faced with the threat of losing their home, unite their forces, regardless of possible losses (protection of the family, by the way, is the most common cause death of the hornet).

To destroy nests dangerous insects people use special methods.

For example, for this purpose you can:

1. Set fire to the paper house, after pouring flammable liquid over it.
2. Fill the nest with boiling water, but you will need a lot of water, at least 20 liters.
3. Drown the house in water (this method is used if the nest is attached to a horizontal surface from below, and there is no need to remove it, but you can simply dip it in a bucket of water and support the structure with any support).
4. Wrap the structure with a large plastic bag, generously spray a potent insecticide inside and immediately tie the edges of the bag tightly so that the poison does not erode.

Important! All work to destroy a hornet nest must be carried out in the dark, when insect activity is minimal. However, you should know that even at night the hornets do not sleep, but continue to work, only periodically, for about 30 seconds, freezing in immobility.

Before you start dangerous work, you should take personal protective measures: wear glasses, a mask, gloves, and even better, a special suit for beekeeping.

The danger of the giant hornet

The Asian hornet is dangerous not only for bees. Their venom is very toxic, and, given the impressive size of both the individual itself and its sting, in the event of an attack, a larger proportion of the toxic substance is released, compared to other hornets.

The hornet's venom contains several toxins, the most dangerous of which is mandorotoxin, a substance that has a pronounced nerve-paralytic effect. Other toxic components have a destructive effect on the tissues of internal organs, which is accompanied by severe pain. Since hornet venom is similar in its characteristics to bee and aspen venom and is also capable of causing a specific “cumulative” reaction (each subsequent sting is more severe than the previous one), first of all, an attack by an Asian hornet is dangerous for those who already have a history of allergies to bee stings and os.

Another trouble is that at least 5% of the Vespa Mandarinia venom is a special substance - acetylcholine, specially designed so that in times of danger the individual can call for help from its fellow tribesmen. Accordingly, having been stung by a giant hornet (like a wasp, it can use its sting many times), its victim runs the risk of ending up in a circle of angry insects within a few minutes.

Did you know? Scientists have found that it is with the help of odors, or rather the pheromones present in them, that communication occurs between members of the family of insects of the genus Vespa. By sending certain aromatic signals, the queen can give her fellow tribesmen various commands - to work, hunt, attack and defend.

However, it should be noted that the Asian hornet, like its other brothers, is not at all aggressive and never attacks without reason. But if you disturb an insect’s nest or accidentally crush it on your body, a lightning-fast reaction cannot be avoided. Moreover, male hornets do not have a stinger - attacks should only be feared from the queen or a working female.

Bite symptoms

First of all, the bite of an Asian hornet is very painful. According to one of the victims, the sensation is reminiscent of being pricked by a hot nail if you step on it with all your weight. The pain does not go away for a long time and is pulsating in nature.

External signs bites are:

• redness of the skin in the affected area;
• rapid spread of inflammation to a wider area of ​​skin;
• the appearance of swelling;
• thickening of the tissue around the bite site;
• swollen lymph nodes;
• hyperthermia, fever.

As the toxin enters the bloodstream, a person may feel:

• shortness of breath, difficulty breathing;
• dizziness, up to loss of consciousness;
• headache;
• nausea, sometimes ending in vomiting;
• rapid heartbeat (tachycardia).

Important! If you have an allergy or if you have multiple bites, the Vespa Mandarinia venom can cause anaphylactic shock and be fatal to humans. So, according to statistics in Japan, up to four dozen people die every year from the bite of these insects.

What to do if you are bitten?

They are similar to those that a wasp victim needs to take, with the only difference being that you need to act even faster.

List of urgent actions:

The Asian hornet is an insect whose bite is fraught with serious consequences, including death, but such cases are still rare. Moreover, if the usual precautions are taken, the likelihood of becoming a victim of Vespa Mandarinia is not that great, since by attacking, the insect is really just protecting itself from danger, real or imaginary.

Up to 20 species of hornets live on Earth. Some of them are large and dangerous to humans. The largest hornet is the Asian giant hornet. Its body measures up to 5 cm in length, its wingspan is up to 7.5 cm, and its weight is up to 200 g.

This insect is so large that when flying it can be mistaken for a bird, which is why it is called the sparrow bee. Giant hornet stings are poisonous, so people should stay away from these creatures' nests.

Four types of hornets are considered the most common and largest. Their rating is topped by the Asian killer hornet.

1. Asian giant hornet, Vespa Mandarinia

This hornet looks like a huge wasp. Its length reaches 5 cm with a body weight of up to 200 g. These insects have large wings with a span of up to 7.5 cm. If you place it on the palm, it will completely occupy it. This huge wasp has a yellow body color with wide black stripes and yellow head. Two attract attention huge eyes on the sides of the head and three small ones in the middle of it. These insects live in Southeast Asia and Russian Pomerania.

The bite of such a hornet is very poisonous, its poison is the most toxic among insects. If a person is attacked by a whole swarm, this can even lead to death. In Japan, up to 40 people die every year from Asian hornet bites. But it should be noted that hornets attack only if their nests are destroyed. It is mainly beekeepers who destroy nests, because giant wasps kill bees.

Asian hornets feed on a wide variety of insects. Adults sometimes feast on meat, fish, fruits and berries. Hornets never use poison for hunting. They crush the chitin of their victims with their large jaws. Their prey includes bees, wasps and other forest insects, including pests of forests and fields. That's why hornets are called forest nurses.

These insects live in nests that the queen builds from recycled wood. Hornets' nests look like paper ones. After building the nest, the queen lays eggs. She takes care of the offspring until the workers are born. Then they take food upon themselves.

Males and females that appear later can continue the hornet genus. The males soon die. Working hornets also do not live long; they often die while hunting and defending the nest. Tourists should remember that giant hornets are poisonous, but they will not attack humans without reason.

2. Common or European hornet

Insect large sizes. The body length of the female is 3.8 - 3.5 cm, the male - 2.5 cm. These hornets have a brown color on the head, chest and back of the head. The abdomen is brown, striped underneath. These hornets are common in Eurasia and North America.

Common hornets often settle on summer cottages, in barns, they can be seen in the hollow of an old tree. They live in nests that the queen builds. The family consists of a queen, females, males, workers and nest protectors. Only females survive the winter, which then form new families. Moreover, hornets never settle in an old nest. You can distinguish them from wasps by large sizes and head shape.

These hornets feed on insects, but can feast on leftovers raw meat, fruits, berries, like wasps. European hornet stings are poisonous, but not as poisonous as Asian hornet stings. The bitten area swells, headache, and fever. If a person is very sensitive to insect venom, a state of shock may even occur. Cases of death from European hornet bites are very rare. It is better for a person not to meddle in the nest of these insects, then they will not touch him.

This insect has a body length from 3.5 cm to 2.5 cm. It is similar in size to the European hornet, but appearance It is original: its abdomen is black, its wings are brown, and has no stripes. Only in this species the queen does not build nests on her own.

Large insect, queens are up to 3 cm long, working hornets are up to 2 cm. The difference between this species is a wide yellow stripe that runs along the abdomen and a yellow spot on the head. Like all hornets, this species has two large and three small eyes and powerful jaws.

These large wasps live in North Africa, Madagascar and southern Russia. They are found in steppe and desert areas, so nests are built underground. These hornets are predators and feed on insects. Their bites are toxic; they attack people when their offspring are at risk.

• Big hornets - most interesting insects of our planet. These are highly organized creatures. In each nest, the main one is the queen, who gives birth to offspring. Females and males continue the race. Workers and guards hunt and protect the nest. There are even individuals responsible for cleaning the nest.
• Only female hornets have a sting, although it is difficult to distinguish them externally, so you need to be wary of everyone. Hornets can sting repeatedly, which is why they are more dangerous than wasps.

• These insects do not attack unless their nests are disturbed. Even if you see their nest in your attic, do not disturb it until the fall. When the queen leaves the nest, it needs to be removed and the cracks caulked.
• Hornets eat a wide variety of insects, so they serve as orderlies and are useful. But at the same time, hornets harm beekeeping.

• In Germany and Austria, a fine of 50,000 euros is imposed for destroying a hornet nest. They were taken under protection because the number of these insects had dropped sharply.
• The largest hornet in the world is the Asian giant hornet. This insect is 5 - 6 cm long and weighs up to 200 g. Its bites are very poisonous, but this hornet attacks humans only when its nests are destroyed. It's dangerous, but beautiful creature- one of the wonders of our nature.