For the first time in 2021, an Asian giant hornet was found in Washington state in what entomologists say appears to be unrelated to the 2019-2020 introductions in Canada and parts of the northwestern U.S.
A resident of the state found a deceased hornet near Marysville and submitted an online report on June 4 to the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) through the Hornet Watch Report Form. Officials picked up the “very dried out” hornet on June 8 and submitted it to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to verify whether it was related to other specimens previously found in North America.
DNA testing confirmed that the hornet is a species known as Vespa mandarinia — the notoriously nicknamed “murder hornet” — but a slightly different coloration revealed that the insect was unrelated to hornets found in Washington’s Whatcom County or those found in Canada in the years prior.
The insect was determined to be a male, which typically does not emerge until July. Because the hornet was severely dried out, entomologists suspect that it was likely an old hornet from a previous season only now discovered. As of this writing, it is not known how the hornet got to the northern Washington town located on the Puget Sound.
“The find is perplexing because it is too early for a male to emerge,” said Dr. Osama El-Lissy, Deputy Administrator for the USDA Plant Protection and Quarantine program, in a news release.
“Last year, the first males emerged in late July, which was earlier than expected. However, we will work with WSDA to survey the area to verify whether a population exists in Snohomish County. USDA will continue to provide technical expertise and monitor the situation in the state. USDA has already provided funding for survey and eradication activities as well as research into lures and population genetics.”
Warnings of Asian giant hornet sightings in Washington began in May 2020 and the insects were subsequently discovered in the state in October 2020. (Check out this video of scientists removing 98 murder hornets from Washington state.) Despite their ominous name, the bark of a murder hornet is far worse than its bite. Measuring approximately 2 inches long with a 3-inch wingspan, murder hornets aren’t a threat to people, and are considered in Japan as beneficial because they remove pests from crops — though they could pose a threat to bees and other pollinators. To combat the potential predator, honeybees can “cook” a murder hornet alive using “hot defensive bee balls.”
Washington entomologists said in June that they are setting traps in the area and encourage citizen scientists to continue reporting sightings of the insects. Suspected sightings should be reported to the WSDA at this online form, by emailing hornets@agr.wa.gov, or calling 1-800-443-6684. Suspected sightings in other areas should be reported to the state or province where the suspected hornet was observed.