''Vespa simillima'', the yellow hornet, including the color form known as the , is a common

hornet Hornets (insects in the genus ''Vespa'') are the largest of the eusocial wasps, and are similar in appearance to their close relatives yellowjackets. Some species can reach up to in length. They are distinguished from other vespine wasps by th ...

species in the

Eastern Hemisphere The Eastern Hemisphere is the half of the planet Earth which is east of the prime meridian (which crosses Greenwich, London, United Kingdom) and west of the antimeridian (which crosses the Pacific Ocean and relatively little land from pole to pol ...

. The typical mainland color form (

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

:ケブカスズメバチ,

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula * Korean cuisine * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl **Korean dialects and the Jeju language ** ...

: 털보말벌, "hairy wasp") is darker and hairier than the yellow form; it lives in

Hokkaido is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel. The la ...

, the

Korean Peninsula Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

Eastern Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive region, geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a ...

and

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

, but is less common in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, where the yellow color form predominates. It should not be confused with the

Asian giant hornet The Asian giant hornet (''Vespa mandarinia'') or northern giant hornet, including the color form referred to as the Japanese giant hornet, is the world's largest hornet. It is native to temperate and tropical East Asia, South Asia, Mainland Sout ...

(''Vespa mandarinia''), which has a color form sometimes referred to as the "Japanese giant hornet". While there is a history of recognizing subspecies within many hornets, the most recent taxonomic revision treats all subspecific names in the genus ''Vespa'' as synonyms, effectively relegating them to no more than informal names for regional color forms.A.H. Smith-Pardo, J.M. Carpenter, L. Kimsey (2020) The diversity of hornets in the genus ''Vespa'' (Hymenoptera: Vespidae; Vespinae), their importance and interceptions in the United States. Insect Systematics and Diversity 4(3) https://doi.org/10.1093/isd/ixaa006

Biology

Due to the large size of the swarm and aggressiveness of the yellow hornet, predation against them is rare. However, along with other insects in

and Korea, they are prey to the

and nests have been known to be deserted after Asian giant hornet attacks, even though they attack in groups of only 10 to 30. Nests of the yellow hornet are sometimes attacked by the parasitic species known as the black hornet (''

Vespa dybowskii ''Vespa dybowskii'', also known as the black hornet or Dybowski's hornet, is a species of hornet found in Japan, Korea, Russia and China. It is considered rare or uncommon throughout its range. It has been suggested for attention in the Red Datab ...

''). In the early stage of nesting, the black hornet queen attacks the queens of other hornets, including the yellow hornet and

European hornet The European hornet (''Vespa crabro'') is the largest eusocial wasp native to Europe. It is also the only true hornet (genus ''Vespa'') found in North America, having been introduced to the United States and Canada from Europe as early as 1840. ...

. If the assault succeeds, it will usurp the nest to produce its own offspring, assisted by the workers of the former owner. The yellow hornet has the largest swarms of all of the hornet species, containing 1,000 to 2,000 workers. Although the yellow hornet is much smaller than the

, it can be more dangerous to humans because they will attack people in greater numbers.

References

Hymenoptera of Asia Insects of Japan Vespidae Insects described in 1868 {{Vespidae-stub