Find out on this page how to:

•    Identify the yellow-legged hornet
•    Report suspect sightings of the yellow-legged hornet
•    Take a photo of a suspect insect safely
•    Send a suspect yellow-legged hornet sample to the lab for identification

Every year, we receive thousands of reports of suspected yellow-legged hornets, but the vast majority of sightings are of native insects. Please review the identification guidance before submitting a report. 

How to identify a yellow-legged hornet

Contrary to popular belief, the invasive yellow-legged hornet (previously referred to as the Asian hornet) is not a large insect and is smaller than the European hornet, which is native to the UK. European hornets are yellow and brown, they are very large and make a loud sound when they fly. Yellow-legged hornets are more similar in size to wasps, but are much darker in colour than any native wasp. The image below shows the invasive yellow-legged hornet on the left and the native European hornet on the right.