The black-tailed hornet is a large hornet of East and Southeast Asia, named for the black tip of its abdomen. It isn't found in the wild in the United States. Although it's one of the bigger hornets, it's known for a mild temper and specializes in raiding paper wasp nests.
Appearance
- Appearance
- Workers are about 1–1.3 in (25–33 mm) long and queens about 1.3–1.5 in (32–37 mm). The last two segments of the abdomen are black, which sets it apart from other hornets in its range.
Where it lives
- Range
- Lives in East Asia (Korea, Japan, China, and Taiwan) and northern Southeast Asia, with some populations reaching Nepal and northeast India. It does not live in the U.S.
- Preferred conditions
- Nests are hidden in enclosed spaces such as underground cavities or tree hollows, not hung out in the open on branches.
Behavior
- Diet
- Adults raid paper wasp nests and carry off the larvae and pupae to feed their own young. They usually ignore the adult paper wasps and may come back to the same nest again and again.
- Social life
- Colonies are the smallest of any hornet, with only a few dozen wasps (about 10–40 workers in Japan).
Life cycle
- Nest
- Nests are built underground or in tree hollows.
Cautions
- Cautions
- It is described as gentle and unlikely to sting people unprovoked. Even so, it is a hornet, so it's best to keep away from its nests.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
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