Meet the murder hornet's Canadian cousin
People often confuse European hornets, which can be naturally found in Canada and the rest of North America, with the much-feared and invasive 'murder hornet.'
'Murder hornets' have been making a buzz in the media for years for their immense size and deadly behaviour. Also called the northern giant hornet (formerly the Asian giant hornet), these terrifying insects were first detected in Canada in 2019, near Nanaimo, B.C.
This invasive species poses a huge threat to Canada’s ecosystems, as they are known to quickly destroy entire bee colonies, which are essential in maintaining healthy ecosystems.
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Each summer, people across Canada will report murder hornet sightings. However, experts are quick to clarify that the sightings people commonly report are actually European hornets—a species that was introduced to North America over 160 years ago and has become part of Canada’s natural ecosystem. While they were introduced, this does not make them invasive as they have naturally integrated with the environment and are not harmful.
Both insect species belong to the family Vespa, but there are some big differences between the two.
Murder hornets, formally called northern giant hornets, are invasive to Canada and pose a major risk to native bee colonies and our ecosystems. (Yasunori Koide/Wikimedia Commons) CC-BY-SA 4.0
European hornets versus murder hornets
European hornets are found in Eastern Canada and can look scarily similar to the murder hornet. They are much larger than the yellowjackets that we are used to seeing each summer but are actually a lot smaller than murder hornets. They have a similar striped pattern on their abdomens to murder hornets, but the key difference is that their abdomens are yellow, whereas the murder hornets are more yellow-orange.
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Unlike murder hornets, European hornets don’t pose a threat to other native insect species and ecosystems. While they do sometimes eat bees, they don’t destroy entire colonies and can actually provide bees protection from other predatory insects, such as wax moths.
European hornets can be found in Canada and are often mistaken for the murder hornet (northern giant hornet). (Dr. Guido Bohne/iNaturalist) CC-BY-SA 4.0
European hornets also create paper nests similar to those made by paper wasps and yellowjackets. Conversely, murder hornets build their nests underground around tree roots.
Like any other stinging insect, the European hornet can get aggressive when you invade its territory or grab at it, but they otherwise try to avoid interacting with people. They do have a soft spot for sweet fruits, though, and you may see more of them buzz around you in the late summer and early fall as their natural food sources begin to dwindle.
Despite their scary appearance, European hornets are important for our ecosystems, providing natural pest control and pollination services.
If you believe you have spotted a murder hornet in Canada and are able to take a photo as proof, you can report it to the Invasive Species Centre.
Thumbnail image credit to Judy Gallagher/iNaturalist CC-BY-SA 4.0