European hornet worker (Matt Bertone, NC State University)

We continue to receive inquiries from people who are confusing some of our common insect species with the Asian giant hornet that has gained media attention in the last week, but is not found in North Carolina. In an effort to help them identify what they found, Matt Bertone with the assistance of Mike Vysocka in EIT have assembled A Visual Comparison of the Asian Giant Hornet and Other Insects. This guide covers some of the common species of wasps, bees and other non-wasp species, such as hover flies and robber flies, that superficially resemble the Asian giant hornet. We are also in the process of completing an web-based interactive version that we hope to have available in a few days.