A new invasive species has been spotted in the United States for the first time, according to officials who identified it as the yellow-legged hornet, or Asian hornet. It was spotted in Georgia.
The Georgia Department of Agriculture shared the news of the discovery while also warning that the species could cause damage to its agriculture industry if left uncontrolled.
The insect was first discovered earlier this month by a beekeeper in the state, who quickly reported it to the proper authorities.
After being collected, officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service confirmed its identity as the yellow-legged hornet.
The yellow-legged hornet is native to tropical and subtropical areas of Southeast Asia. It is also known to reside in Europe, parts of the Middle East, and parts of Asia where it is not native. The pest is also known as a social wasp species.
Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper shared a statement on the hornets, noting that Georgians need to play their role in keeping the department notified of potentially invasive species.
“Georgians play an important role helping GDA identify unwanted, non-native pests, and I want to thank the beekeeper who reported his sighting to us,” Harper said in a statement. “Our experienced team of professionals will continue to assess the situation and are working directly with USDA APHIS and UGA to trap, track, and eradicate the yellow-legged hornet in Georgia.”
Officials in the state will now set up traps to find out if there are more of the hornets in the area the beekeeper found it.
The department shared that they will work to destroy any potential colonies that might be in the area. They are also working to identify whether the hornet came from Europe or Asia.
The insects are known to build egg-shaped nests that can host up to 6,000 worker hornets. Their colonies are most often built in trees, the department shared.
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