News Animals

Giant hornets have been sighted in Europe for the first time

Similar stingers, known for honeybee attacks, had the Pacific Northwest on edge a few years ago

A side-on view of a black, brown and yellow southern giant hornet.

The southern giant hornet (Vespa soror), known to attack and eat creatures as large as geckos, was recently spotted for only the second time outside of tropical Asia.

Rushen/Flickr

By Jake Buehler

A species of enormous hornets has found its way to Europe for the first time. 

The southern giant hornet (Vespa soror) is native to a broad swath of tropical Asia, but four of the immense insects were recently discovered in Spain, researchers report November 9 in Ecology and Evolution.