Hornet

insects · wasps · team builders · powerful

Giant insects. Hornets are the biggest eusocial wasps, meaning they live and work together in colonies. Some species like the Asian giant hornet can grow over 50 millimeters long, which is bigger than your thumb is wide.

Mostly tropical. Most of the 22 hornet species live in the warm rainforests and tropical regions of Asia. The European hornet is special because it also thrives in cooler places like Russia, Europe, and North America.

Bigger heads. You can tell hornets apart from their close cousins, yellowjackets, by looking at the top of their head, which is much larger and wider than on other wasps. This big head margin is their special identifying feature.

Not all are real. Some insects in North America called hornets are actually yellowjackets in disguise. These wasps belong to the genus Dolichovespula, not the true Vespa hornets, so scientists gave them a tricky common name.