The Asian giant hornet, also known as the Japanese giant hornet or northern giant hornet, is the world's largest hornet species.1 Sensationalized by the media as the "murder hornet," this insect measures 1.5 to 2 inches in length with a wingspan around 3 inches.21 The hornet has a distinctive appearance, with a large yellow-orange head contrasting with dark brown to black eyes and a black thorax.21 Its abdomen alternates between bands of dark brown or black and a yellow-orange hue matching its head color.1 The Asian giant hornet's stinger is typically 1/4 inch long and delivers a potent, potentially life-threatening venom if multiple hornets sting simultaneously.21

The Asian giant hornet is native to temperate and tropical regions of East Asia, South Asia, and parts of the Russian Far East, including Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Nepal, India, and Sri Lanka.1 Within its native range, this hornet prefers low mountains and forests, while almost completely avoiding plains and high-altitude climates.12 Asian giant hornets create nests by digging, co-opting pre-existing tunnels dug by rodents, or occupying spaces near rotten pine roots.1 In 2019, the Asian giant hornet was found for the first time in North America in the Pacific Northwest, with sightings confirmed in British Columbia, Canada and Washington state.34 Additional sightings and nest discoveries continued in this region through 2021, raising concerns about the hornet becoming an invasive species, although there were no confirmed sightings by the end of 2022.14 Eradication efforts are underway to prevent the Asian giant hornet from establishing and spreading in North America.5

Asian giant hornets are social insects that form colonies with a caste system consisting of a queen, workers, and juveniles.1 The queen is responsible for egg-laying, while the workers perform tasks such as nest construction, caring for the young, and foraging for food.2 Nests are typically built underground in pre-existing cavities like rodent burrows or hollow tree roots, although some nests have been observed in man-made structures like sheds.13 The nest itself is constructed from chewed wood fibers mixed with saliva, forming a papery material arranged in layers with a single entrance hole.3 Inside the nest, cell cakes contain the developing brood.3 Asian giant hornet colonies follow an annual cycle, with inseminated queens emerging in spring to establish new nests, workers emerging in summer to expand the nest and colony, and reproductive individuals emerging in late summer to mate before the colony dies off in winter.32