Hobbies And Interests
Misnomer Origin
Many North Americans call the Japanese giant hornet the "Japanese sand hornet." This name is technically incorrect, since the Japanese giant hornet is not a sand hornet. This misnomer is probably caused by the Japanese giant hornet's similarity in appearance to the Sphecius speciosus, which is also known as the "cicada killer wasp" or "sand hornet." Interestingly enough, the North American "sand hornet" is not a hornet, so this name is inaccurate as well. In Japan, the Japanese giant hornet is called the "sparrow hornet" or "suzume bachi."
Size and Appearance
The Japanese giant hornet is a type of Asian hornet scientifically known as Vespa mandarinia japonica. The insect has a very wide orange head, large dark brown eyes and a big black tooth. With a body length of 27 to 35 millimeter, the Japanese hornet's body is about the size of your thumb and yellow-orange in color with wide brown stripes. The queen can reach up to 5.5 centimeters in length.
Unpleasant Facts
It is no wonder that the Japanese giant hornet is followed by such terrifying lore -- its stinger is about 6.35 millimeters, which is about one-quarter of an inch. The pain of its stinger is described as excruciating. The stinger's venom not only dissolves skin tissue, but also attacks the nervous system.
Bee Tyrant
The Japanese giant hornet uses its power to torment and prey upon smaller bee and wasp species. The hornet can mark locations of prey with a special secretion that notifies other nearby hornets to flock. A single hornet can kill 40 European honeybees a minute, so you can imagine what would happen if an entire swarm attacks.
Courageous Prey
Due to their ability to detect the secretion of the hornets, honeybees that are native to the Japanese islands have developed an effective defense system against the killer insects. When the secretion alarms go off, 500 or so honeybees join together and attack the hornet swarm by crowding it in a rigid orb. The energy causes the temperature inside the cluster to reach about 117 degrees Fahrenheit. The hornets cannot withstand this temperature and die without causing too many casualties for the honeybees.
Danger to Humans
Although the Japanese giant hornet can easily kill other insects, the venom is not typically fatal to humans unless they are allergic or sensitive to the toxin. Those who are stung will experience intense pain and tissue damage, and will need treatment at a hospital. About 40 people a year die from hornet stings, usually from anaphylactic shock. It would be extremely atypical for a person to die from a sting, and it would take more than just three stings to produce enough venom to kill a non-allergic person.