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Bees (Family: Apidae) Wasps (Family: Vespidae) Name Western honey bee Bumblebee Paper wasp Yellowjacket Bald-faced hornet European hornet Asian hornet; Image Colors Amber to brown translucent alternating with black stripes. [a] Exact pattern and colouration varies depending on strain/breed.
Intriguingly, this hornet attraction to honey bee pheromone is also exploited by the orchid Dendrobium christyanum, which mimics the honey bee alarm pheromone in its flowers' scent to attract hornets that visit and pollinate the flowers. Bee-hunting hornets therefore likely visit the non-rewarding flowers in search of prey. [17]
The hornets can devastate a colony of honey bees, especially if it is the introduced western honey bee. A single hornet can kill as many as 40 bees per minute due to its large mandibles, which can quickly strike and decapitate prey. [91] The honey bees' stings are ineffective because the hornets are five times their size and heavily armored.
European hornets benefit from legal protection in some countries, notably Germany, where killing a European hornet or nest has been illegal since January 1, 1987, with a fine up to €50,000. [25] However, the highest reported fine levied in Germany for killing of wasps was €45, and experts report that fines are rarely imposed. [26] [27]
The hornet was spotted by a beekeeper in Savannah, the department said in a news release on Aug. 15. Officials announced the eradication of the first nest near Savannah in a news release on Aug. 25.
Apis cerana, the eastern honey bee, Asiatic honey bee or Asian honey bee, is a species of honey bee native to South, Southeast and East Asia. This species is the sister species of Apis koschevnikovi and both are in the same subgenus as the western (European) honey bee, Apis mellifera .
Although a handful of Asian giant hornets can easily defeat the uncoordinated defenses of a honey bee colony, the Japanese honeybee (Apis cerana japonica) has an effective strategy. [6] As a hornet enters the hive, a mob of hundreds of honey bees surrounds it in a ball, completely covering it and preventing it from reacting effectively.
The adult hornet eats nectar and fruits and scavenges for insects and animal proteins to feed to its young. [9] Because they are scavengers, the hornets may also serve as a transmitter of disease following consumption of infected plants. [10] The hornets are a primary pest to honey bees, attacking bee colonies to obtain honey and animal ...