Murder hornet ‘relative’ is invading the US: Species native to Asia spotted in America for the first time is a threat to the agriculture industry

A relative of the murderous hornet that terrorized the US in 2021 has been spotted in the country for the first time and could be damaging agriculture.

The yellow-legged hornet, native to South Asia, was identified in Georgia, where officials are urging residents to search for the invasive species that can ‘potentially threaten’ honey production, native species, farms and human lives.

The hornet can be recognized by its yellow-tipped legs and dark underparts, which have yellow bands that widen towards the back of the insect.

The message came after a The Savannah beekeeper discovered the Southeast Asian hornet alive on his property on Tuesday.

The all-point bulletin, issued by the Georgia Agriculture Commissioner this Tuesday, followed a tip from a beekeeper from Savannah, Georgia, who first discovered the Southeast Asian hornet alive on his property. Georgia’s agriculture ministry wants the pests ‘eradicated’

The yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina), pictured above, is a cousin of the Asian giant hornet, often described in the press as the “killer hornet” for its savage attacks on bee colonies. But reports from Europe suggest the hornet has killed and could kill humans again

Georgia’s Agriculture Commissioner described the hornet as an existential threat to “our state’s most important industry: agriculture.” But local scientists said it could also pose a threat to humans.

“There are reports in Europe of people dying from encountering this wasp and being stung,” says entomologist Brian T. Forschler of the University of Georgia. told local ABC affiliate WJCL this week.

But these newly invading killer hornets, he stressed, “appear to specialize in feeding on honey bees, which is a concern for that industry.”

As pollinators, honeybees are critical to Georgia’s $75 billion agricultural industry annually. They help farmers grow staples, including watermelons, blueberries, and the state’s famous Georgia peaches.

Nationally, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) calculated in 2018 that bee pollination alone adds about $15 billion to the value of U.S. crops, in addition to the efforts of farmers, farm equipment, fertilizers and other factors.

“About a third of the food Americans eat comes from crops pollinated by honey bees.” according to the FDA“including apples, melons, cranberries, pumpkins, butternut squash, broccoli, and almonds.”

As pollinators, honey bees serve a critical part of Georgia’s $75 billion a year agricultural industry by helping farmers grow staples including watermelons, blueberries and the state’s famous Georgia peaches

Scientists describe the yellow-legged hornet as a “social wasp species” that can form nests that can support an average of 6,000 worker hornets. Their egg-shaped, paper nests are often found in trees or elsewhere above the ground.

Although native to tropical and subtropical regions of Southeast Asia, the invasive yellow-legged hornet is spreading to parts of the Middle East and Asia, as well as most of Europe, where it has occasionally claimed human lives.

The Georgia Department of Agriculture said the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), charged with protecting local animal and plant life from invasive species, is assisting state officials in their eradication efforts.

“APHIS is providing technical expertise, technology and outreach support, as well as analyzing the hornet’s DNA to determine whether it is related to European populations of this species,” the agency said in a press statement.

Academic researchers at the University of Georgia also collaborate with these state and federal agencies in their killer hornet hunts.

“Together we are developing an operational plan to capture, detect and eradicate the yellow-legged hornet in Georgia,” GDA said.

“APHIS and GDA will set traps and investigate this infestation to determine if there are any more yellow-legged hornets in the area.”

In 2021, Washington state officials said they were attacked by the hornets during the eradication of the season’s first Asian giant hornet nest. The Asian giant hornet is a cousin of the yellow-legged hornet that now threatens Georgia

Washington State Department of Agriculture lead entomologist Sven-Erik Spichiger said in 2021 groups of Asian giant hornets became “more aggressive” than those in 2020

In the past few years, the yellow-legged hornet’s cousin, the original killer hornet, has alarmed wildlife and agriculture officials in the US and Canada, with particularly active cases in Washington state.

In 2021, Washington State Department of Agriculture lead entomologist Sven-Erik Spichiger said at a news conference that the killer hornets in the Pacific Northwest were becoming “more aggressive” than those identified in 2020.

“Some of us working closely in the area were approached by the hornets, and this time they tried to sting us,” Spichiger said.

Bee researchers at the University of California San Diego have been experimenting with harnessing the Asian giant hornets’ pheromones to create traps for the insect, but it’s unclear if similar tactics might work on the yellow-legged hornet.

For now, Georgia state officials are turning to eagle-eyed citizens for help apprehending the deadly insect.

“I want to thank the beekeeper who reported his sighting to us and our partners at the University of Georgia and the USDA’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service for working so quickly to confirm his identity,” Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper said.

The Deputy Administrator of the USDA APHIS Quarantine Program, Mark Davidson, praised the collaboration between state and federal agencies in addition to the scientific community, but also encouraged Georgians to get involved themselves.

“The public can also play a vital role in reporting potential hornet sightings to help eradicate this pest,” Davidson said.

This is what the yellow-legged hornet looks like: Workers can be about half the size of a Northern giant hornet, usually about 3.5 cm long.

The new cutthroat hornet can easily be mistaken for the Northern Giant Hornet, although the name suggests that it differs mainly in its mostly or partially yellow legs. The hornet’s body and head colors vary.

The USDA maintains a photo gallery of innocent ‘killer hornet’ lookalikes that can be accessed by searching www.aphis.usda.gov for ‘yellow-legged hornet’.

And the Georgia Department of Agriculture has one form report possible sightings.

Residents with questions can email yellow.legged.hornet@agr.georgia.gov.