#3513 · 🐝 bees, wasps & ants

Yellow-legged Hornet

🇳🇱 Aziatische hoornaar ·Vespa velutina

🐝 Bees, wasps & ants 📍 in the Netherlands (introduced)

8 photos from iNaturalist (Creative Commons) · credits & licences

what is it?

The Asian hornet , also known as the yellow-legged hornet ( Vespa velutina ), is a species of hornet indigenous to Southeast Asia. It is of concern as an invasive species in some other countries.

base stats

NL sightings 580iNaturalist, research grade
worldwide 35,280iNaturalist observations

Bars compare against all animals on log scales: up to 300,000 Dutch and 600,000 worldwide sightings (the most-seen species), 150 t (blue whale), 30 m and 400 years (Greenland shark).

fun facts

Spotted 580 times in the Netherlands on iNaturalist: the #11 most seen of the bees, wasps & ants in NL.
35,280 observations worldwide on iNaturalist.
Scientifically named by Amédée Louis Michel Le Peletier de Saint-Fargeau in 1836 (190 years ago).
Not originally Dutch: it was introduced to the Netherlands.