Photo in the Guardian of European hornet could confuse

[Amari]

Guardian yesterday had this pic of V. crabro with remarkably yellow upper legs. Obviously to us cognoscenti it is not an Asian hornet because of its abdominal colouring and brown lower legs but it could confuse the public who are urged to report seeing the 'yellow- legged hornet'.

 

[JamezF]

I think if someone had asked me to identify that insect without anything to judge scale I'd probably have gone for V. vulgaris because of the yellow legs and black thorax. I'd expect the thorax of V. crabro to be much more brown.

James

 

[Amari]

Yes, that's what I thought until I read the caption.

 

[Oculentum]

It's not like any European hornet I've ever seen.