yellow-legged hornet

noun

ˈye-lō-ˈlegd- 

-ˈlāgd-;

-ˈle-gəd-,

-ˈlā-

variants or less commonly yellow legged hornet

plural yellow-legged hornets also yellow legged hornets

: a chiefly dark brown and orange hornet (Vespa velutina) of southeastern Asia that has yellow on the lower parts of the legs and that has been introduced into parts of Europe where it has become an invasive (see invasive entry 1 sense 1a) species that preys on honeybees

The species are also easy to spot as they have yellow legs, hence why they are also known as the yellow-legged hornet. Their face is orange and they have reddish-brown eyes.

—Kat Hopps

Note: This insect, formerly known as the Asian hornet, was officially renamed by the Entomological Society of America in July 2022 in order to comply with Society policies discouraging geographic references for invasive species.

Examples of yellow-legged hornet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That's according to researchers from the University of Oviedo in Spain, who were completing an eco-monitoring program to analyze the biodiversity of insects affected by the trapping of the yellow-legged hornet, whose scientific name is vespa velutina. —Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 5 Dec. 2024

One yellow-legged hornet can kill dozens of honeybees in a single day. —Hannah Hoag, USA TODAY, 28 May 2024

In Georgia, where agriculture is the state’s top industry, officials are particularly concerned about the yellow-legged hornet’s threat to honeybees and honey production. —Praveena Somasundaram, Washington Post, 18 Aug. 2023

The massive, tan nests that yellow-legged hornets construct can hold 10 times that many. —Drew Kann, ajc, 28 Aug. 2023

Check to ensure the insect is indeed a yellow-legged hornet. —Drew Kann, ajc, 28 Aug. 2023

The department has created a form through which people can report yellow-legged hornet sightings. —Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Aug. 2023

Before the discovery of the nest, Harper said a total of four yellow-legged hornets had been spotted, all in the same general area near Savannah. —Drew Kann, ajc, 28 Aug. 2023

If a yellow-legged hornet is seen out of Georgia, GDA advises contacting that state’s Department of Agriculture. —Zach Mentz, cleveland, 16 Aug. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1999, in the meaning defined above