Vespa crabro vexator

[ShinySideUp]

Saw an English hornet yesterday, I call it an English hornet as it seems to differ from the European hornet, vespa crabro. I watched it for some time and it is an impressive insect. It didn't seem to be in any hurry to fly away and hovered around some old wood and a pile of old concrete for quite a few minutes. The most impressive thing about it was the sound it made when flying like a Lancaster bomber from the WWII, amazing noise; and almost as big as one!

I left it alone and it eventually went away although it probably means that it and it's giant friends will be back in the Autumn to prey on my bees. As it says in the name Vexator which means, from an on-line dictionary: troubler, harasser, abuser, vexer.

Image from Bing Images.

 

[Anduril]

Lovely creatures, have you seen this? https://youtu.be/BYQ7RDgDDTA
Last year I had a report of the Asian Hornet in the area, after I was given the description, I told the concerned walkers there was nothing to worry about.

 

[Fritillary]

I was sorry really to take down a little hornet nest starter yesterday in my empty poly nuc/bait hive. The hornet queen came out when I took the lid off. I could have moved the nuc somewhere else and left it, but... she'd only just started her nest, and I do want to be able to use the poly nuc this year, after all.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Saw an English hornet yesterday.

Looks more like a Welsh hornet to me.

 

[Ian123]

There’s no Daffodil up it’s arse?

 

[Millet]

There’s no Daffodil up it’s arse?

And it's not jockeying a ewe..

 

[ShinySideUp]

Lovely creatures, have you seen this? https://youtu.be/BYQ7RDgDDTA
Last year I had a report of the Asian Hornet in the area, after I was given the description, I told the concerned walkers there was nothing to worry about.

Not sure I would have left them wandering around my apiary but each to their own I suppose.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Not sure I would have left them wandering around my apiary but each to their own I suppose.

wouldn't tolerate ramblers anywhere on my land

 

[Antipodes]

How big was it ShinySU? Interesting colour. I've never seen a hornet.....I don't think we have them here.

 

[Anduril]

Workers 3.5cm

 

[For want of a better word]

Looks more like a Welsh hornet to me.

Definitely a native Cornish hornet... rare a RHS !

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Definitely a native Cornish hornet... rare a RHS !

Well, historically, Cormwall is where we Kept our lunatics

 

[Anduril]

Definitely not Scottish.

 

[ShinySideUp]

How big was it ShinySU? Interesting colour. I've never seen a hornet.....I don't think we have them here.

Seemed too big to fly, it was the length of my thumb.

 

[Repwoc]

Seemed too big to fly, it was the length of my thumb.

My thumbs are 7 cm long - that's an enormous hornet!

 

[masterBK]

I suppose this one is a bit on the small size for some of you.

 

[ShinySideUp]

My thumbs are 7 cm long - that's an enormous hornet!

You have enormous thumbs! But I am measuring on the inside of my thumb and I suspect you are not.

I suppose this one is a bit on the small size for some of you.

My estimate of the size of my hornet is 4.5 to 5 cms, one of the biggest insects I've ever seen but then I have also seen several hawk moths which were pretty huge.

 

[Antipodes]

ShinySU....it sounds like a fantastic experience and perhaps never to be repeated. I still remember as a child finding a Helena Gum Moth with its wondrous furry legs and antennae. To this day I've never seen another .....but I still keep a lookout.