Officials have confirmed the first sighting of a live "murder hornet" in Washington this year.
A Whatcom County resident submitted a reported sighting to the Washington State Department of Agriculture, and entomologists were able to confirm it as an Asian Giant hornet on Thursday, according to a press release from the WSDA.
“This hornet is exhibiting the same behavior we saw last year – attacking paper wasp nests,” Sven Spichiger, WSDA managing entomologist said in the press release.
This is the second Asian giant hornet sighting in 2021, but the first time the insect was found alive. In June, officials said they found a dead hornet north of Seattle.
The invasive insect – normally found in eastern and southeast Asia – was first spotted in the U.S. in 2019 and poses a threat to insects and honeybees who are vital in agriculture.
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A nest discovered in October 2020 was knocked down in Blaine, Washington, and the hornets were vacuumed out in what entomologists called the first-ever Asian giant hornet nest in the U.S.
The insects are the largest hornets in the world and got the nickname "murder hornet" since they reportedly are responsible up to 50 deaths in Japan a year.
In response to the latest sighting, WSDA said they will be setting up live traps in the area in hopes of tagging one and tracking it back to its nest.
Follow reporter Asha Gilbert @Coastalasha. Email: agilbert@usatoday.com.
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