Asian hornet: where dwells and how dangerous for others?

One of the most terrible insects is the Asian hornet. Photo of this creature in the last decade has appeared in many news releases related to the death of a person. Not to mention the kind of fear it brings to its congeners in the wild.

What makes it so special? Why does the Asian giant hornet dominate the other insect species? And how dangerous is it for ordinary people? All these questions have long troubled the soul of inquisitive naturalists, and therefore it is time to give them unambiguous answers.

Insect-giant

The Asian hornet is the official name of this species. However, each nation has its own name for this being. For example, on the island of Taiwan, his name is only "bee-tiger", since his bite is very painful. And in Japan, I call these hornets "bee-sparrow" because of their bulky wings.

And there are many such examples, but they all boil down to one - to the strength and size of an Asian hornet. And this is not surprising, because among all the 27 species of hornets, he leads with a huge gap. That is why it is also called insect-giants, thus indicating its amazing proportions.

Habitat

Based on the name, it's easy to guess that this creature lives on the Asian side of the continent. In particular, it can be found in China, Korea, India, Nepal, as well as on the islands of Japan and Taiwan.

Many are now clearly interested in the question: "Is there an Asian hornet in Russia?" Well, the answer will be positive. In our country, it can be found in Primorsky Krai, and its population is not modest in size.

Distinctive features

The huge Asian hornet is not much different from its relatives, except for the sizes, of course. Adult individuals grow to 5 cm in length, which makes them giants in the world of insects.

In the rest, they strongly resemble bees and bees, especially the coloring. The entire body of the hornet is divided into yellow and black stripes. In this case, the head of the "bee-tiger" is always yellow - this is another of its distinguishing features. But most of the wide strips on the case, on the contrary, have a black tinge.

Also, the Asian hornet has large front jaws that can bite a small insect in half. They are one of the most formidable weapons of the hornet, along with its poisoned sting.

The harsh way of life to which the Asian giant hornet has become accustomed

With the arrival of the first spring heat, all insects begin to creep out. It was during this period that the queen of hornets awakens from her winter sleep. Full of strength and ambition, she goes in search of a new home, which often becomes an empty hollow or burrow in the ground.

After that, she begins to actively lay eggs, of which in 2-3 days hatch her first servants. If you believe the research of scientists, in a few weeks the population of such a family can grow to a couple of thousand individuals.

Such a number of hornets is quite difficult to feed, and therefore scouts of the beehive every day, like the ripe, are rushing around in the district in search of profit. Food can be all those who are smaller than the "bees-tigers" themselves, and sometimes even the "relatives" commensurate with them. Even such a formidable representative of the eastern fauna, like a mantis, can not cope with them.

War with bees

However, for some species of insects, the Asian hornet is not just an enemy, but the number one target. In particular, he is waging a tough war with bees. At the same time, for his little congeners, such confrontation borders on genocide, but let's talk about everything in order.

As mentioned earlier, the Asian hornet is very voracious. In order to provide himself and his relatives with the right amount of meat, he searches for more and more sources of food. Therefore a beehive for him is like a manna from heaven. After all, by and large, little bees will do nothing against a pack of huge hornets.

Therefore, for toilers-melliferous, the only chance to survive is to destroy the scout before he sweeps the territory with his pheromones. At the same time the swarm immediately pounces on the hornet, not letting it come to its senses. But they do not sting it, but envelop their bodies, in order to raise the temperature inside the living cocoon.

This method is very effective, since hornets are less resistant to heat than bees. However, in such battles, not one dozen small insects perish. Yet such a sacrifice is fully justified, given the rates that were at stake.

The danger of the Asian hornet

As you know, this insect has two menacing weapons: jaws and stinging. And if the first brings terrible pain, then the latter can easily take life. And the reason for that is the poison that is contained in the special glands of the Asian hornet.

It is only toxins that get into the blood of the victim, as they immediately begin to corrode the structure of the cells. For small insects and mammals this is a sure death. As for the larger representatives of the animal world, in most cases they survive the hornet attack.

But a man will have to tightly, if he bites a "bee-tiger." And if you do not provide medical help on time, serious complications can arise. Especially if the victim suffers from an allergy to bee venom. But it will be much worse if there are several bites, because in this case, the lethal outcome is almost inevitable.

And this is not just intimidation or false rumors. Only in Korea itself from the attack of hornets in one year can kill up to 40 people. And if you take the statistics for all of Asia, then the numbers are even worse. Blame the aggressive nature of the Asian hornet, as well as his close contact with people. And therefore, it is best to avoid meeting him, and if it has already taken place, then do everything possible to protect yourself and your family from bites.