BajaNomad

Can anyone identify this hornet it’s 2” long

RFClark - 9-10-2022 at 11:50 AM

One of the guys killed this yesterday here in Rancho Nuevo. He said he’s never seen anything like it in the years he’s lived here.

We have the body!

6C1E4727-A55D-4808-A6D0-DBAF36DA81FB.jpeg - 322kB 21C41968-C226-43DE-BB82-879C1AA2FA3C.jpeg - 326kB

Anyone else think it looks like this picture of a Murder Hornet?
46A2320B-2642-4DEE-9662-5CAA8795A93E.jpeg - 206kB

[Edited on 9-10-2022 by RFClark]

David K - 9-10-2022 at 12:34 PM

Called a 'Murder Hornet', it kills honey bees, just another gift from China... PC crowd changed the common name to 'Asian Giant Hornet': https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_giant_hornet
https://www.livescience.com/murder-hornet
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/just-how-dangerou...

mtgoat666 - 9-10-2022 at 01:24 PM

Internet tells me that murder hornet has mostly yellow head and final (butt) segment is yellow….

Bob and Susan - 9-10-2022 at 01:40 PM

they come over in containers....

do you have a container?

RFClark - 9-10-2022 at 02:02 PM

B&S

The containers are from Mexico and were empty for a long time. Mexico doesn’t have any of these according to everything I can find!

John Harper - 9-10-2022 at 06:10 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Called a 'Murder Hornet', it kills honey bees, just another gift from China... PC crowd changed the common name to 'Asian Giant Hornet':


Yet, no outrage about Dutch Elm Disease? :D

John




[Edited on 9-11-2022 by John Harper]

David K - 9-10-2022 at 06:38 PM

Ya, may be different... But the overall size seems to match? I don't care to have giant poisonous flying insects around! The Tarantula Hawk is as big as I care to ever see!

pacificobob - 9-11-2022 at 07:58 AM

Quote: Originally posted by John Harper  
Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Called a 'Murder Hornet', it kills honey bees, just another gift from China... PC crowd changed the common name to 'Asian Giant Hornet':


Yet, no outrage about Dutch Elm Disease? :D

John




[Edited on 9-11-2022 by John Harper]


I'll wager that prior to the "flabrador deceiver" descending the golden escalator he never gave a thought to the Chinese.

[Edited on 9-11-2022 by pacificobob]

John Harper - 9-11-2022 at 10:06 AM

Quote: Originally posted by pacificobob  
Quote: Originally posted by John Harper  
Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Called a 'Murder Hornet', it kills honey bees, just another gift from China... PC crowd changed the common name to 'Asian Giant Hornet':


Yet, no outrage about Dutch Elm Disease? :D

John




[Edited on 9-11-2022 by John Harper]


I'll wager that prior to the "flabrador deceiver" descending the golden escalator he never gave a thought to the Chinese.


I'm sure the only issue was Egg Flower or Hot/Sour soup?

John

[Edited on 9-11-2022 by John Harper]

surfhat - 9-11-2022 at 10:33 AM

Back in the 80's while camping for a couple of wintertime months at Pescadero, I was riding my moto to town and one of these hornets? lodged onto my upper thigh and bam!

It swelled up to the size of a softball and inspired me to go into town to the local doctor for some relief. Thankfully whatever he did worked.

This was long before the murder hornets made it to the west coast. There was a name for these little monsters back then, not so little when they get you, but the name escapes me at the moment.

I learned to wear tight fitting shorts around my thighs to keep those buggers out of my private areas when riding my moto. I was not a racer by far and never had all the gear besides a helmet, and used the moto for grocery shopping and exploring every little trail to beach I could find looking for that special secret break between Pescadero and Cabo. There were a couple of finds that did not trespass on private land. Those are long gone by now.

That king sized hornet that got me was a beast in many unwelcome ways. Glad it was a one time thing. Some local will know the name.

John Harper - 9-11-2022 at 01:10 PM

I think it might be a Common Paper Wasp.

https://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.php?...

I'm an entomology bug.

John

RFClark - 9-11-2022 at 02:31 PM

John,

I think you’re right. If you hear hooves your first thought shouldn’t be Zebras unless you’re in Africa!

Bob and Susan - 9-11-2022 at 02:49 PM

i think you are right too... but...

a Chinese developed paper wasp from Wuhan...

and was eating cardboard boxes in a container

RFClark - 9-11-2022 at 03:17 PM

B&S,

I have a friend (excellent digital engineer) named Mike Lyons. He believes strongly in Alien Abduction. In fact he believes that they follow him around. Are you guys members of any of the same chat groups?

Alm - 9-11-2022 at 05:10 PM

Quote: Originally posted by lencho  
Quote: Originally posted by John Harper  

Yet, no outrage about Dutch Elm Disease? :D

Or those damn Chinese computers which they forced us to buy (and which most of us are reading this on). ;)

The only thing that is - kind of - correct in this statement, is that we, as consumers, are forced. We have no other choice now, all computers are made in the 3rd world, mostly China. There is quite a bit of outrage about China trying to dominate everywhere, not to mention the means they're using for this. But this ship has already sailed, should've thought about it 30-40 years ago.

RFClark - 9-12-2022 at 12:34 PM

From the pro!

“ That's a cicada killer, not a hornet at all - only very distantly related. There are two species in Baja (Sphecius convallis and Sphecius grandis), and they are nearly identical, so I can't tell which one this is from these photos. As they name implies, they hunt cicadas, and can be found just about everywhere in North America.”

John Harper - 9-12-2022 at 01:10 PM

Quote: Originally posted by RFClark  
John,

I think you’re right. If you hear hooves your first thought shouldn’t be Zebras unless you’re in Africa!


Zebras? My first thoughts would be of Unicorns!

John

Bob and Susan - 9-12-2022 at 02:57 PM

cicada killer doesnt look like the bug you posted

Bajazly - 9-12-2022 at 03:31 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Bob and Susan  
cicada killer doesnt look like the bug you posted



They do look pretty different and the Cicada Killers are found predominantly east of the Rockies.

Cicada Killer.png - 326kB

Bob and Susan - 9-12-2022 at 04:15 PM

so now I'm back to believing it's a Chinese bug

that arrived in a Chinese container eating boxes

John Harper - 9-12-2022 at 04:32 PM

Okay, the Common Paper Wasp seems to have some black bands on the abdomen along with yellow and brown. Suspect bug does not, and it's 2" long. Perhaps it is a Giant Hornet. That first picture of the Murder hornet also has black bands, perhaps that's a mistaken picture of the CPW?

I see no black bands on the diagram of the AGH. Definitely not the cicada bug, as it's abdomen looks black/dark gray to me. Cicada bug only in Connecticut as well. Long way from Baja.

John

[Edited on 9-12-2022 by John Harper]

mtgoat666 - 9-12-2022 at 04:58 PM

Clarkie,
You need to provide a better pic of the bug to get a better ID from the arm chair entomologists!

John Harper - 9-12-2022 at 05:53 PM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  
Clarkie,
You need to provide a better pic of the bug to get a better ID from the arm chair entomologists!


Come on Big G, we're not fighting about politics. Unless someone here steps forward as a real entomologist, this is all we got. This is a learning experience!

Your input is valid, a better picture and maybe some measuring instrument nearby would help us identify this bug.

I can think of worse things than being an "armchair entomologist."

Much better than palm trees, masks, TFG, and TPG?

John

[Edited on 9-13-2022 by John Harper]

RFClark - 9-12-2022 at 07:13 PM

Everyone, this guy is the expert. Below is his answer. The bugs I deal with are in software!


Hi, Richard.

That's a cicada killer, not a hornet at all - only very distantly related. There are two species in Baja (Sphecius convallis and Sphecius grandis), and they are nearly identical, so I can't tell which one this is from these photos. As they name implies, they hunt cicadas, and can be found just about everywhere in North America.

Peace,

--
Doug Yanega Dept. of Entomology Entomology Research Museum
Univ. of California, Riverside, CA 92521-0314 skype: dyanega
phone: (951) 827-4315 (disclaimer: opinions are mine, not UCR's)
https://faculty.ucr.edu/~heraty/yanega.html
"There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness
is the true method" - Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Chap. 82

mtgoat666 - 9-12-2022 at 07:39 PM

Quote: Originally posted by RFClark  
Everyone, this guy is the expert. Below is his answer. The bugs I deal with are in software!


Hi, Richard.

That's a cicada killer, not a hornet at all - only very distantly related. There are two species in Baja (Sphecius convallis and Sphecius grandis), and they are nearly identical, so I can't tell which one this is from these photos. As they name implies, they hunt cicadas, and can be found just about everywhere in North America.

Peace,

--
Doug Yanega Dept. of Entomology Entomology Research Museum
Univ. of California, Riverside, CA 92521-0314 skype: dyanega
phone: (951) 827-4315 (disclaimer: opinions are mine, not UCR's)
https://faculty.ucr.edu/~heraty/yanega.html
"There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness
is the true method" - Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Chap. 82


Thank god it is not a murder hornet!

RFClark - 9-12-2022 at 08:12 PM

Yes, I’ll drink to that! “Thank God it’s cancer! I thought it was COPD and I’d have to quit smoking!”