Asian Giant Hornet Zach Schumm Utah State University Extension - USU Extension
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Asian Giant Hornet Zach Schumm Utah State University Extension zach.schumm@usu.edu
World’s Largest Hornet (up to 2” long)
Identification • 1.5 – 2” in length • Head is solid yellow or orange with large black eyes • Thorax solid brown to black (contrasts head) • Abdomen has alternating bands of brown/black and orange/yellow • Wasp waist
Look-alikes (Insects commonly mistaken for AGH) Western cicada killer Head is not solid orange/yellow Abdomen has markings other than stripes
• Pigeon tremex (abundant) Has a long terminal abdominal segment/ovipositor
• Western yellowjacket (most common YJ in Utah) Small, brightly colored
• European hornet (abundant in the eastern U.S.) Not found in Utah Large, but abdomen has other patterning besides stripes Head not solid yellow/orange
• Bald-faced hornet Has very little to no orange/brown coloration
• Giant ichneumons Usually have a very long ovipositor
Other insects Submitted as Suspected AGH Tachytes (a genus of smaller square- headed wasps)
Other insects Submitted as Suspected AGH Calloides nobilis mormonus (a longhorned beetle)
Other insects Submitted as Suspected AGH Jerusalem cricket
Steps to Considering AGH 1. Is it in the correct family (Vespidae)? • Are its wings folded at rest? 2. Is the head solid yellow/orange • Shades of brown/patterns indicate something else* 3. Is it the size of a skyscraper?
Is it AGH?
Wings
folded at
rest?
Eastern cicada killerAGH?
Are the wings
folded at
rest?
Is the head
solid
yellow/orange?
European hornetAGH?
Wings
folded?****
Is the head
solid yellow or
orange?
Is it the size of a
skyscraper?
Vespa sp.Fun Fact • We do not have hornets in Utah (currently) • Everything we call a “hornet” is a species of aerial-nesting yellowjacket
AGH in North America • First reported on Vancouver Island, Canada (September 18, 2019) • Detected in NW Washington state shortly after • New confirmed sightings in Washington in 2020 (plus media hype) • First nest eradication in Washington in Oct 2020
Biology
• Eusocial (caste system – cooperative breeding/nesting)
• Queen
• Workers (all females)
• Males
• Haplodiploid
• Females produced from fertilized eggs, males from
unfertilized eggs
• Usually nest in underground cavities. Occasionally nest
in above-ground voids
• Prefer forested habitatsDistribution Source: GBIF
Trapping/monitoring
Tracking
First U.S. Nest
Eradication
• Nest located ~8 ft up a tree with a cavity entrance
• 14-inch nest
• Contents:
• 6 combs
• 190 larvae
• 112 workers
• 9 males
• 76 queens
• 108 capped cells (with pupa)
Photo: WSDAEradication
Niche Modeling • Use climate variables in a native geographic range where the species is known to occur to predict the habitat suitability in other regions. • Can include temperature, humidity, rainfall, max temp., min temp., etc.
Zhu et al. 2020
AGH Updates • Three nests eradicated in 2021 (so far) • Suspected or confirmed reports of AGH continue (some in new areas) • Tagging, scouting, and public reports remain at the forefront of eradication efforts
What can you do? • Report any suspected AGH to: • caps@usu.edu • utahpestlab@gmail.com • We do not expect AGH to arrive or establish in Utah any time soon! • Encourage friends, family, and colleagues to use the name “Asian giant hornet”
Additional Resources • View our fact sheets • Follow the Washington State Department of Agriculture on Social Media • Sign up for AGH email updates through the WSDA
Questions? • zach.schumm@usu.edu • 435-797-2435 • Text diagnostics: 385-367-3773
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