QuestionNorthern giant hornet
How Big Are Murder Hornets? Size of the Largest Hornet
Murder hornets are the biggest hornets on Earth. Northern giant hornet queens are usually 40–50 mm (1.6–2 in) long and occasionally reach about 55 mm (2.2 in), with a wingspan of up to about 76 mm (3 in) and a stinger about 6 mm (0.25 in) long. Workers are smaller, at roughly 27–40 mm (1.1–1.6 in).
Contents
How big is a northern giant hornet?
The northern giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia), nicknamed the murder hornet, comes in three castes, and their sizes overlap only partly.
| Caste | Body length | Wingspan | Weight (older Japanese data) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Queen | 40–50 mm (1.6–2 in), rarely 55 mm (2.2 in) | Up to about 76 mm (3 in) | About 2–3 g (0.07–0.1 oz) |
| Worker | 27–40 mm (1.1–1.6 in) | From about 35 mm (1.4 in) | About 1–1.5 g (0.04–0.05 oz) |
| Male | 35–45 mm (1.4–1.8 in) | Not well documented | About 1–1.5 g (0.04–0.05 oz) |
Published size ranges differ a little between sources, mainly because hornets vary by region and season and because some authors measure dried museum specimens. The largest individuals on record come from Japan.
The stinger of a queen or worker is about 6 mm (0.25 in) long. It delivers a large dose of venom, and when officials removed nests in Washington State in 2021 they wore special suits thicker than ordinary beekeeping suits. Males have no stinger at all.
Why are queens so much bigger than workers?
All female hornets start as identical eggs, and what they become depends largely on how they are fed. In spring a lone queen raises the first brood herself, and these early workers are small because she can only bring in a limited amount of food.
Later in the season, hundreds of workers hunt for the colony and the larvae are fed generously. From late summer the nest raises new queens in larger cells, and they grow much bigger than their sisters. Before leaving the nest, the young queens also fatten up, and their weight rises by about 20%. That reserve has to carry them through several months of hibernation.
How do murder hornets compare with other wasps and bees?
Size is the easiest way to rule out a giant hornet, because almost every wasp in Europe and North America is much smaller.
| Insect | Typical length |
|---|---|
| Northern giant hornet queen | 40–50 mm (1.6–2 in) |
| Southern giant hornet queen (Vespa soror) | 39–46 mm (1.5–1.8 in) |
| Northern giant hornet worker | 27–40 mm (1.1–1.6 in) |
| Eastern cicada killer | 15–50 mm (0.6–2 in) |
| European hornet | 18–35 mm (0.7–1.4 in) |
| Yellow-legged (Asian) hornet worker | 20–25 mm (0.8–1 in) |
| Bald-faced hornet | about 19 mm (0.75 in) |
| Common wasp worker | 12–17 mm (0.5–0.7 in) |
| Honey bee worker | 12–15 mm (0.5–0.6 in) |
A giant hornet worker is often as long as a queen European hornet, and a giant hornet queen is roughly three times the length of a western honey bee worker. The difference in bulk is even greater: with its heavy thorax and broad head, a giant hornet worker weighs at least ten times as much as a honey bee. The hornet vs wasp comparison explains how hornets differ from yellowjackets and common wasps.
Is the murder hornet the biggest wasp in the world?
It is the largest hornet, but not clearly the largest wasp. Some tarantula hawk wasps of the Americas and the giant scoliid wasp of Southeast Asia rival or exceed it in body length or wingspan. These are solitary wasps that hunt spiders or beetle grubs, and they do not live in colonies or raid beehives.
Among insects in general, the giant hornet is far from the top. Long stick insects, heavy beetles and broad-winged moths are all much bigger, as shown in the list of the largest insects in the world.
How to tell a giant hornet from look-alikes
When the northern giant hornet made headlines in 2020, thousands of people in North America reported “murder hornets” that turned out to be other insects. A few features help.
- Northern giant hornet: very large orange-yellow head with wide cheeks, dark brown to black thorax, and an abdomen with broad bands of dark brown and yellow-orange. It nests mainly underground.
- European hornet: smaller, with a reddish-brown and yellow head and thorax and a mostly yellow abdomen with dark marks. It nests in hollow trees and buildings and is common in the eastern US.
- Eastern cicada killer: a solitary wasp with a relatively small head, a rusty red and black thorax and black abdominal segments marked with pale yellow. Females dig burrows in sandy soil and hunt cicadas in midsummer.
- Yellow-legged hornet: much darker overall, with one orange band near the tip of the abdomen and bright yellow leg tips. It is the invasive Asian hornet of Europe and coastal Georgia.
Why people think murder hornets are even bigger
Large stinging insects look bigger than they are, especially when they fly close. During the 2020 scare, specialists who checked submitted photos and specimens found that people routinely estimated look-alikes at about 1.3 to 1.85 times their real size.
A ruler or a coin in a photo makes identification much easier. Even so, the best way to judge a hornet is from a distance, since disturbing any large wasp near its nest can lead to stings.
Frequently asked questions
How long is a murder hornet stinger?
A female northern giant hornet's stinger is about 6 mm (0.25 in) long. Only queens and workers have one, because the stinger is a modified egg-laying tube; males cannot sting.
Is a murder hornet bigger than a European hornet?
Yes. A giant hornet worker, at about 27–40 mm (1.1–1.6 in), is often as long as a European hornet queen, and a giant hornet queen at 40–50 mm (1.6–2 in) is far larger than any European hornet.
How much does a murder hornet weigh?
Older Japanese measurements give roughly 1–1.5 g (0.04–0.05 oz) for workers and males and about 2–3 g (0.07–0.1 oz) for queens. A honey bee worker weighs only about 0.1 g, so a giant hornet worker is at least ten times heavier.
What is the biggest hornet ever recorded?
Japanese northern giant hornet queens have been measured at up to about 55 mm (2.2 in) long with a wingspan of about 76 mm (3 in). These are widely cited as the largest hornets on record.
How big is the wingspan of a murder hornet?
The wingspan ranges from about 35 mm (1.4 in) in small workers to about 76 mm (3 in) in the largest queens. In flight the hornet looks heavy and makes a loud, low buzz.
Sources and further reading
- Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan), "Vespa mandarinia"
- Smith-Pardo, A. H. et al., "The diversity of hornets in the genus Vespa (Hymenoptera: Vespidae; Vespinae), their importance and interceptions in the United States", Insect Systematics and Diversity (2020)
- Archer, M. E., "Taxonomy, distribution and nesting biology of the Vespa mandarinia group (Hym., Vespinae)", Entomologist's Monthly Magazine (1995)
Cite this page
“How Big Are Murder Hornets? Size of the Largest Hornet.” Animal Atlas, https://animals.bigworldlist.com/questions/how-big-are-murder-hornets/.
