Japanese giant hornet wasps (including the Japanese hornet). While the sting of the Asian giant hornet is officially rated as only a 2 on the Schmidt Sting Pain Index, other less official reports have the sting of the Japanese sub species to be rivaling or even exceeding other Hymenopterans such as the Tarantula hawk and even the Bullet Ant, both of which are ranked as a 4 on the respective index. Japanese giant hornet The Japanese giant hornet ("Vespa mandarinia japonica") is a subspecies of the world's largest hornet, the Asian giant hornet ("V. mandarinia"). It is a large insect, with adults frequently
Asian hornet Asian hornet The Asian hornet, also known as the yellow-legged hornet ("Vespa velutina"), is a species of hornet indigenous to Southeast Asia. It is of concern as an invasive species in some other countries. "Vespa velutina" is slightly smaller than the European hornet. Typically queens are 30 mm in length, and males about 24 mm. Workers measure about 20 mm in length. The species has distinctive yellow tarsi (legs). The thorax is a velvety brown or black with a brown abdomen. Each abdominal segment has a narrow posterior yellow border, except for the fourth segment, which is orange. The head