European hornet
The European hornet is the largest wasp that lives in Europe. It is a true hornet, and it is the only one of its kind found in North America, where it was introduced from Europe. It is best known for its large paper nests and its striking reddish wings and striped abdomen.1

Cómo reconocerlo
- Eyes deeply indented and shaped like a "C"1
- Reddish-orange wings1
- Abdomen striped with brown and yellow1
- Workers average about 2.5 cm long; queens can reach about 3.5 cm1
- Has hair on the thorax and abdomen, but is not as hairy as most bees1
Se confunde a menudo con: It is often mistaken for the Asian giant hornet because of its colours and abdomen pattern. The European hornet is significantly smaller than the Asian giant hornet, and it is larger than most common wasps, such as Vespula vulgaris.1
Poder del veneno
El veneno sale por un aguijón.
¿Qué hace su veneno?
Its venom contains neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, histamine and noradrenaline, along with enzymes, proteins such as melittin and bradykinin, and a neurotoxin called apamin, which attacks the nerves. In one documented case, a person developed tingling at the sting, headaches and shortness of breath, along with a fast, irregular heartbeat.1
¿Qué peligro tiene para las personas?
Peligro para las personas: DolorosoPuede doler de verdad, pero casi nunca es grave.Most stings do not need medical attention, but in rare cases they can be serious. In one documented case the victim needed hospital treatment, though that person may have been unusually sensitive to hornet and wasp stings.1
¿Qué hace cuando se asusta?
It stings when it is stepped on or grabbed and is defensive of its nest, and it may sting without warning when near its nest or food. When alarmed, it performs a dance outside the nest with loud buzzing, darting in and out, and attacking or approaching the target.1
Si pica
- Most stings do not require medical attention. In rare serious cases, hospital treatment is needed; in one documented case, electrical cardioversion or the drug propafenone were effective treatments for the heart reactions.1
- Raspa el aguijón de abeja y enfría la zona.
- Si a la persona le cuesta respirar, se le hincha la cara o la garganta, o se marea, es una emergencia alérgica: llama a tu número de emergencias y usa su autoinyector de adrenalina si tiene uno.
Llama siempre primero a tu número de emergencias (112, 000, 911). Esto son pautas generales de primeros auxilios, no consejo médico. Primeros auxilios básicos
Mantente a salvo
- Nunca toques, atrapes ni molestes a un animal salvaje, aunque sea pequeño y aunque parezca dormido o muerto.
- Déjale espacio. Si te encuentras uno, mantén la calma, retrocede despacio y deja que siga su camino.
- Si te pica: mantén la calma, no te muevas, llama a tu número de emergencias (112, 000, 911) o ve rápido a un hospital. Recuerda cómo era, una foto ayuda.
No va a por ti. Usa su veneno para cazar o defenderse, y prefiere mil veces esconderse. Más sobre cómo protegerte
¿En qué parte del mundo?
¿Qué tamaño tiene?
¿Cuánto mide?
¿Cuánto pesa?
más o menos lo que mide un clip
tan ligero que no lo notarías en la mano
podría cruzar volando un campo de fútbol entero en 11 segundos¿Qué tamaño tiene European hornet comparado contigo?
Solo cálculos en tu navegador. No se guarda ni se envía nada a ningún sitio.
¿Qué velocidad alcanza?
Datos
It is known to steal prey from spiders. This was first documented in 2011, when one took a wrapped insect from a yellow garden spider's web.1
It is the largest eusocial wasp native to Europe.1
Only females have a stinger, because it is a modified egg-laying device. Males cannot sting.1
In Germany, killing a European hornet or destroying its nest has been illegal since 1 January 1987, with a fine of up to €50,000, though fines are rarely imposed.1
It is the only true hornet found in North America, where it was introduced from Europe as early as 1840.1
Cazamitos
Mito: European hornets are aggressive and will attack people for no reason.
Verdad: It generally avoids conflict. It stings mainly when it is stepped on or grabbed, or when its nest or food is threatened.1
Para expertos en veneno
- Nombre científico
- Vespa crabro
- Grupo
- Abejas, avispas y avispones
- Familia
- Vespidae2
- Orden
- Hymenoptera
- Continentes
- Europa, Asia
- Crías
- The queen lays eggs in the combs inside the nest. In laboratory data, egg-laying averaged 2.31 eggs per day.1
- Cómo le va en la naturaleza
- Locally threatened or endangered in some areas1
- Peligro para las personas
- 2 / 5: Doloroso3
De dónde salen los datos
- European hornet (Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0))
- Vespa crabro (iNaturalist): nombres y clasificación.
- Venom Wiki: el nivel de peligro, el tamaño típico y la velocidad estimada son nuestros. Mira cómo los calculamos: Cómo valoramos el peligro.
Cada dato de esta página tiene un número que lleva a su fuente. Si nos hemos equivocado en algo, perdón, somos fans de los animales, no una revista científica. Escríbenos a [email protected] y lo arreglamos.
Picaduras
