Jun 16, 2021 - Science

Dead murder hornet marks invasive species' return to U.S.

Bryan Walsh

A Washington State Department of Agriculture worker holds two dead Asian giant hornets in a photo from October 2020. Photo: Elaine Thompson/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

An Asian giant hornet was found dead near Seattle — the first such sighting in the United States this year, per AP.

Why it matters: The 2-inch-long invasive insects, known as "murder hornets," pose a threat to honeybees and native hornet species, and their extremely painful stings can be deadly to human beings.

What's happening: Entomologists from Washington state and the USDA confirmed a report of a dead Asian giant hornet in Snohomish County north of Seattle.

The hornets generated buzz last year after nests were discovered along the Canadian border.

Between the lines: Experts believe the dead hornet was likely left over from the previous year, when agriculture officials in the region went tree to tree trying to vacuum nests.

But DNA tests indicate the hornet was unrelated to earlier populations, and it's unclear how it arrived in Snohomish County.

The bottom line: The USDA advises that if you encounter a murder hornet, you should "calmly leave the area."

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Dead murder hornet marks invasive species' return to U.S.

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