One of the worst insects is the Asian hornet. Photos of this creature over the past decade have been featured in many news releases related to human death. Not to mention the fear it inflicts on its relatives in the wild.
What makes it so special? Why does the Asian giant hornet dominate other insect species? And how dangerous is it for ordinary people? All these questions have long troubled the soul of inquisitive naturalists, and therefore it is time to give unequivocal answers to them.
Giant Insect
Asian hornet is the official name for this species. However, every nation has its own name for this creature. For example, on the island of Taiwan, his name is nothing more than a “tiger bee, ” since his bite is very painful. And in Japan, I call these hornets a “sparrow bee” because of their bulky wings.
And there are many similar examples, but they all come down to one thing - the strength and size of the Asian hornet. And this is not surprising, because among all 27 species of hornets, he leads with a huge gap. That is why it is also called a giant insect, thereby indicating its amazing proportions.
Habitat
Based on the name, it is easy to guess that this creature lives on the Asian side of the continent. In particular, it can be found in China, Korea, India, Nepal, as well as on the islands of Japan and Taiwan.
Many are now clearly interested in the question: "Is there an Asian hornet in Russia?" Well, the answer will be yes. In our country, it can be found in the Primorsky Territory, and its population is not very modest in size.
Distinctive features
The huge Asian hornet is not much different from its relatives, except for the size, of course. Adults grow up to 5 cm in length, which makes them giants in the world of insects.
Otherwise, they strongly resemble wasps and bees, especially coloring. The whole body of the hornet is divided into yellow and black stripes. Moreover, the head of the "tiger bee" is always yellow - this is another of its distinguishing features. But most of the wide stripes on the case, on the contrary, have a black tint.
Also, the Asian hornet has large front jaws that can bite a small insect in half. They are one of the most formidable hornet weapons, along with its poisoned sting.
The harsh lifestyle that the Asian giant hornet is used to
With the arrival of the first spring heat, all insects begin to creep out. It was during this period that the hornet queen awakens from her winter sleep. Full of strength and ambition, she goes in search of a new home, which often becomes an empty hollow or hole in the ground.
After which she begins to actively lay eggs, from which her first servants will hatch after 2-3 days. If you believe the research of scientists, then in a few weeks the population of such a family can grow to a couple of thousand individuals.
Such a number of hornets is quite difficult to feed, and therefore hive scouts every day, as if mad, scamper around the area in search of profit. Food can be all who are smaller than the “tiger bees” themselves, and sometimes even proportionate to them. Even such a formidable representative of the eastern fauna, like a praying mantis, cannot cope with them.
War with bees
However, for some types of insects, the Asian hornet is not just an enemy, but the number one target. In particular, he leads a tough war with bees. Moreover, for his little relatives, such a confrontation borders on genocide, but let's talk about everything in order.
As mentioned earlier, the Asian hornet is very voracious. In order to provide himself and his relatives with the right amount of meat, he seeks out more and more new sources of food. Therefore, a beehive for him is like manna from heaven. After all, by and large, little bees will not do anything against a flock of huge hornets.
Therefore, for honey workers, the only chance to survive is to destroy the scout before he marks the territory with his pheromones. In this case, the swarm immediately pounced on the hornet, not allowing him to come to his senses. But they do not sting him, but envelop them with their bodies in order to raise the temperature inside a living cocoon.
This method is very effective, as hornets are less resistant to heat than bees. However, in such battles more than a dozen small insects die. And yet, such a sacrifice is justified, given the bets that were at stake.
