Vespa velutina has jumped the Atlantic

In August, Vita Bee Health’s social media account received a photo from Savannah in Georgia, USA, asking if the insect featured might be a yellow-legged hornet (aka Asian hornet or Vespa velutina) and what to do.

The insect was dead but it did indeed look like Vespa velutina, so we urged the sharp-eyed enquirer to report it immediately to the authorities.

At first, some local entomologists said it wasn’t the Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) — which was correct — but showed little further interest.

We urged him to keep reporting it and soon it was indeed agreed to be the insect that has been travelling rapidly though western Europe. But this was the first reported instance in the USA.

The alert went out and the nest was found.

Photo: Georgia Department of Agriculture