The Asian hornet is one of the largest and most dangerous insects.

The Asian hornet is one of the largest insects that can cause a real panic in a person. Indeed, due to its size, it is always noticeable and at the same time in flight it is more like a small bird, which is why it is called a sparrow bee in some countries. In addition, this creature is also very harmful - a flock of such hornets can cause serious damage to the beekeeping farm, and their bites are very dangerous for humans.

Description

In Latin, the name of this hornet sounds like vespa mandarinia. These insects are noticeably larger than other hornets and the body length of representatives of most subspecies is 5 cm. Moreover, the wingspan of such individuals sometimes reaches 7.5 cm.

On a note! The length of the body of an adult hornet from the head to the extreme point of the abdomen is commensurate with the little finger of an adult, and if he spreads his wings, then they will probably cover most of the palm!

The Asian giant hornet belongs to the Real Wasp family and has a characteristic appearance for its representatives: the body is painted yellow, several transverse black stripes pass along it, the base of the abdomen is brown, the head is yellow, the cephalothorax is almost black. There are three pairs of legs.
The largest hornet in the world has five eyes: one pair is the main (these eyes are the largest) and three more eyes are located between them.

In the world there are several subspecies of the Asian hornet, each of which has its own habitat: Korea, Central and East Asia, India, Nepal, Russia (Primorsky Territory). And among others, the most famous in scientific circles is the inhabitant of the Japanese islands - Vespa mandarinia japonica. The Japanese hornet has an appearance similar to Asian “relatives”: a large body, whose length is about 4 cm, and an impressive wingspan of 6 cm. The range of this subspecies is limited to the above territory, where it is found mainly in forest areas.

This size nature gave the Asian hornet for a reason. His ability to normal life depends on them in many respects and, above all, this is due to the distribution area of ​​this insect. As you know, in Asia it is very hot, and therefore it is much easier for large creatures to survive - with a large area of ​​their body, they are able to transfer enough heat to the environment. Small insects quickly die from overheating.

Biology

Asian giant hornets live in the same way as other "relatives" - families, or colonies. These insects equip their nests in forests, often in close proximity to water bodies and other water sources. The female begins the construction of such a nest - in the first hundred cells, she lays the laid eggs and grows the offspring that emerged from them on her own. During this period, she takes care of the larvae, protects them and feeds them. After a few weeks, the larvae turn into young hornets, which take over all responsibilities: they procure food, cut the bodies of the caught victims, feed the newly hatched larvae and protect the nest from enemies.The next grown hornets are already able to mate and breed.

On a note! The number of one colony can reach about 300 individuals, but even after that the female continues to lay eggs - all her duties are reduced to this process!

Over time, the Asian hornet colony is replenished with new males and females, and when their numbers become too high, they leave the overpopulated nest and mate outside. In the future, fertilized females look for suitable places for the construction of nests and become the founders of new colonies, and the males die.

Nest

For the construction of nests, females use chewed pieces of young bark, which they fasten together with the help of salivary secretion. At first, the nest has a very modest size - these are several cells with eggs laid in them. With the replenishment of the family, the nest also grows, gradually turning into a rather large gray cocoon, the height of which can reach 0.8 m and a width of 0.5 m.

The expansion of the nest and the development of hornets in it occurs throughout the entire warm season. With the advent of the rainy season or the onset of winter, all its inhabitants die, and the female stops laying eggs. Thus, the nest lasts no more than one year.

Food

The basis of the diet vespa mandarinia is food of animal origin - various arthropods. Adults, unlike larvae, can also eat berries, fruits, and fish carcasses ashore.

Japanese giant hornets very often raid the nests of their small "relatives": more often bees, less often wasps and hornets of other species with more modest body sizes. At the same time, hunters act with particular cruelty, ruining the entire nest and killing absolutely all its inhabitants. The larvae and pupae of bees, as well as sweet honey, become prey. All hornets take the trophies to their nest, where in the future they use them for their own food and survival.

On a note! A small flock of Asian hornets (30-40 individuals) can destroy a colony of bees in number of about 20-30 thousand individuals in just a couple of hours!

It is noteworthy that the huge Asian hornet, having a very poisonous sting, practically does not use it for hunting. He kills the prey with the help of powerful jaws located in the front of the head - with them the hornet easily breaks the chitinous covers of its victims. Thus, the bees, modest in size, turn out to be very easy prey for these giants, and are unable to resist several hornets.
Apiary owners usually fight these winged pests with radical measures. They find the nest and burn it, stoke or destroy its inhabitants with insecticides. The main thing in this matter is to be able to get as close to the enemy’s den as possible and go unnoticed. But sometimes the bees find a way to protect themselves, but they only succeed if only one hornet penetrates the hive - the scout. Bees surround the alien and very quickly create a cocoon around him. As a result, the hornet dies from heat. If the scout goes unnoticed, then he marks the hive with his secret and after some time flies in with reinforcements.

Danger to humans

Asian hornets are very dangerous. Their main weapon against humans is a long sting, reaching 6 mm in length, with the help of which insects inject nerve poison into the body of the offender.

On a note! The bite of an Asian hornet is very painful, which is why this insect got its other nickname - “tiger bee”! Entomologist Masato Ono, who suffered such a bite, described his feelings as follows: “It seemed as if a red-hot nail stuck in my leg!”

The most dangerous poison of the Asian hornet is for people allergic to insect bites, in particular wasps and bees. In this case, the rapid development of anaphylactic shock is possible, which will require urgent hospitalization. However, even in the absence of an allergic reaction, such a pity can cause very significant discomfort and provoke a deterioration in well-being. The reason for this is the composition of the poison, which includes mandorotoxin - a neurotoxin, which is an extremely dangerous substance, as well as acetylcholine, which attracts other hornets.

Poisonous substances contained in the poison of the Asian hornet act primarily on the nervous system and may contribute to the development of symptoms such as:

• intense throbbing pain at the site of the bite;
• rapid extensive inflammation of the tissues;
• redness in the affected area;
• hardening of tissues;
• Strong headache;
• dizziness;
• dyspnea;
• heart palpitations;
• swollen lymph nodes;
• fever.

With the untimely provision of medical care, the tissues at the site of the bite begin to collapse, which, in turn, can provoke damage to internal organs located near the affected area, as well as bleeding and hemorrhage.

Important! It is strictly forbidden to comb the stranded area and independently treat it with any alcohol-containing solutions!

However, it is worth noting that, for no reason, the giant Asian hornet never attacks. Aggression to humans, he can manifest only in the event of a clear threat in relation to him or the nest, which he is called upon to protect. In such situations, the insect will necessarily attack and at the same time can inflict several bites at once.

On a note! According to statistics, from the bites of Asian hornets, about 40 people die annually. Sometimes this happens through negligence, when people step on a nest in the forest, sometimes when beekeepers protect beehives, when they try to destroy the enemy’s den without personal protective equipment!

Bite Actions

A huge and very dangerous Asian hornet can be found both on the territory of Russia and abroad - in large quantities it lives in Asian countries. And if such an unpleasant meeting happened, then the main rule is not to make any sudden movements. Try not to wave your hands and as calmly as possible leave the habitat of this insect.

On a note! Remember, for no reason, the Asian hornet will not attack, and usually the person himself is guilty of his aggression: the curious either wants to take a closer look at the amazing insect, or tries to photograph his nest hidden in the leaves as clearly as possible, and some even try to take the hornet into hands, forgetting that he has a powerful "weapon"!

And if you could not avoid unpleasant contact, and the Asian hornet bit you or the person next to you, then in this case you need to do the following:

• immediately apply something very cold to the affected area and hold for a few seconds;
• then it is desirable to make a compress out of wet sugar - thanks to this technique, it is possible to slow down the spread of toxins throughout the tissues;
• take an antihistamine, and it is better to give an injection - antihistamines are necessary, especially if there is no certainty that there is no allergy;
• a person should be laid on his back and put a pillow or a roller from folded clothes under his head - the head should be raised.

If the well-being of the victim begins to rapidly deteriorate, then you must immediately seek medical help.