Expert claims huge hornets found in Shropshire are not invasive Asian species
Huge hornets found in Shropshire within 24 hours of each other were European rather than Asian, an expert has confirmed.
In both cases the alarmed people who found them thought they may be the invasive Asian variety.
Now, Neil Green, invasive species project officer at Bristol Zoological Gardens, has said that, from pictures, the insects appear to be native hornets.
He is urging people to know the difference as concerns over the Asian invaders continue after a hive was found in the UK for the first time in September.
The aggressive Asian hornet was first spotted in France in 2005 and fears it may spread to the UK came true when a nest was found in Tetbury, Gloucestershire, followed by a confirmed sighting in the Mendip Hills, in Somerset, in recent weeks.
Last week a large dead hornet was discovered in Harlescott Retail Park and a live one in the store room of Leebotwood business Full of Beans.
Mr Green said just because a hornet was bigger than what members of the public might have seen before, it did not mean it had come from overseas – as the European one (vespa crabro), native to this country, can grow bigger than the Asian variety (vespa velutina) but is relatively rare to see compared to the common wasp.
"As soon as people see them they think Asian hornet," he said, but said if the abdomen is mostly yellow and the legs are dark all over, it is probably a home-grown variety.
He said "The Asian hornet has got a darker abdomen, and it has got yellow on its legs.
"The best thing to do is take a photo and go on the non-native species secretariat website where there's a picture of one on the home page."
He said there are also charts on how to distinguish them on the website and an email address to contact if it turns out someone has seen a genuine Asian hornet.
Details can be found at the National Bee Unit's website at nationalbeeunit.com
