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Update (May 28): The New York Times reports that an Asian giant hornet has been found in British Columbia, eight miles north of where two of the insects were spotted last fall in Washington State. The apiculturist who confirmed the discovery notes that most people should not be concerned about the insects, as he says he is worried fear could lead people to kill ecologically important bees and wasps.
Members of the species Vespa mandarinia, a hornet infamous for wiping out whole colonies of honey bees and delivering painful and sometimes deadly stings to humans, have been spotted in the United States for the first time, The New York Times reports. Two dead “murder hornets” found in Washington State late last year have sparked a hunt for colonies, which researchers hope to eradicate before the species can establish a firm foothold in the area.
“This is ...