The black hornet, or the Dybowski hornet (Vespa dybowskii), is one of the rarest hornets in our country. The number of this species in our territories is so small that, for example, it is listed in the regional Red Book of the Chita region. In addition to Transbaikalia, this insect can occasionally be found in Primorye and the Amur Region. The main habitat of the black hornet is located in China, India, Burma, Thailand, Japan and Korea.
It is noteworthy that if we consider all the habitats of this species as a whole, then it is impossible to unambiguously declare its small number. This fact is explained by the fact that the rarity of encounters with an insect still does not accurately reflect its actual prevalence.
Within the range as a whole, the black hornet is not an endangered insect at all. Just because of some features of their biology, these hornets, in principle, are never numerous anywhere - even in the main habitats. However, this species has a stable population.
What does a black hornet look like
Purely outwardly, the black hornet differs from the ordinary hornet familiar to our country only with a completely black belly.If you compare these insects, for example, from photographs, then you will not find any difference in other color elements: the cephalothorax of the first species will literally exactly repeat the pattern on the body of the second, well known to many summer residents of the European part of Russia.
In the photo - a black hornet in its natural habitat:
And this is what an ordinary hornet looks like:
It is worth noting that an entomologist will be able to find another, albeit not so expressive, difference between these insects: the black hornet, unlike the ordinary one, has brownish wings, which, however, are not very striking against the background of the black abdomen:
These insects do not have outstanding sizes - they have fairly average indicators for the genus. The female reaches a length of 28-31 mm, working individuals - 18-23 mm, and males - 22-25 mm. Nevertheless, due to the uniform coloring, the body of insects of this species seems to be more slender and elongated in length than that of typical "striped" relatives.
Interestingly, due to the characteristic coloration of black hornets, they are often mistaken for other insects. This is especially true for the southern regions of our country, where huge scolia wasps are found in abundance. Let's take a closer look at this interesting topic.
Who can be confused with black hornets?
Indeed, outwardly, scolia very much resemble hornets, because both of them belong to the same family and therefore have a characteristic similar color. But unlike ordinary wasps or, for example, bumblebees, scoli, as well as hornets, can reach impressive sizes.
Thus, the average body length of scoli females is 45 mm, but in some especially large species these figures are even greater - up to 60 mm.Thus, when determining insects, it is not worth focusing only on the size of their body.
The main difference between the scoli and the common hornet is its dark color. But how, in this case, to distinguish between scoli and black hornet? Entomologists know that the usual giant scolia has two transverse orange stripes on its black abdomen, but such subtleties are not known to ordinary eyewitnesses, so they are very likely to mistake it for a black hornet.
For clarity and a better understanding of the issue, let's turn to photographs of all these insects.
In the first photo - a black hornet:
Here is the common hornet:
And in this photo - a giant scolia:
So, it is not so difficult to distinguish a black hornet from a scoli, you just need to carefully examine their abdomen. The first insect does not have any spots and stripes here, while the second one is decorated with yellow bandages.
In addition, the black hornet is not found west of Lake Baikal, so all encounters with a large black wasp in the European part of Russia are always encounters with scolia.
It is interesting
Scolia are non-social insects. Unlike hornets, they do not have nests, they do not live in families. Adult individuals usually feed on flowers, which cannot be said about their larvae. To procreate, females find larvae of large beetles under the ground and stones, paralyze them with their poison and lay eggs on the body. Thus, larvae of scolia feed on living but immobilized beetle larvae. Thanks to this food source, the larvae pupate, winter underground, and the next year they get out of the cocoon, come to the surface of the earth and scatter.
There are cases when scolia was mistaken even for bumblebees, but such a mistake could only be made by people who are very far from entomology, because the difference between these insects, despite their belonging to the same family, is generally quite large. So, the scolia has a typical wasp waist and a slender abdomen, while the bumblebee, on the contrary, is dense and very wide.
A pair of black bumblebee-hornet differs as strikingly as a bumblebee with scoli - it will be very difficult to confuse them, at least once seen in a photograph.
The only nest parasite among the brethren
The most important and especially interesting feature that distinguishes black hornets from other hornets is their way of life. Of all 23 species of its fellows, black is the only nest parasite.
At the end of summer, a young female finds a rather overgrown nest of ordinary or medium-sized Japanese hornets, penetrates into it and kills the queen.
After that, the female invader, with the help of special pheromones, disguises herself as members of the family, whose individuals, guided by smell, immediately recognize her as their queen. Despite the fact that the new resident of the nest belongs to a completely different species, the workers, confused by her smell, begin to serve the new queen with the same zeal.
After capturing the nest, the female black hornet immediately begins to lay pre-fertilized eggs, from which individuals that are already capable of breeding are then hatched. Thus, during the entire development of the larvae of one species, misguided workers of another species nurture.
When the number of females and males becomes sufficient, they leave the nest and mate.Males soon die, and females find places for wintering or, if it happens in the tropics, new colonies to parasitize.
In the photo - a black hornet on the bark of a tree:
It is worth noting that the capture of the nest, despite the simple algorithm, is not easy for the females of the black hornet. The vast majority of them die from the "hands" of working individuals who zealously protect their homes.
Until the murder of the old uterus, the new one in the family will never be recognized. However, those rare lucky ones who manage to conquer the nest ensure the appearance of such a number of young individuals that more than covers the death of less fortunate sisters.
It is clear that single females looking for a nest do not catch the eye as often as, say, numerous working individuals of a large family. That is why, even in their usual habitats, black hornets, unlike hornets of other species, are not considered widespread.
In exceptional cases, these insects can organize their own nests and live in families. Such behavior is extremely rare in them and is primarily due to the fact that in some places of the range of hornets of other small species there may not be at all. In this case, the search for an object for parasitism will definitely end in failure, and even the probable presence of larger species of hornets on the territory will not save the situation: black hornets are not able to parasitize on relatives such as giant hornets.
How dangerous are black hornets?
If we talk about the attacks of a black hornet on a person, then we can say that this insect stings much more painfully than the common hornet we are used to.But at the same time, its bite is not as terrible as, for example, the sting of a giant Asian hornet that lives in approximately the same territories.
The fact that the giant hornet leads the black one in terms of poison toxicity is an indisputable fact, because this insect, in principle, is one of the most poisonous insects on Earth. But why, then, having approximately the same size, the other two hornets - black and ordinary - sting in different ways?
The fact is that in order to succeed in capturing the nest, the female black hornet must be able to kill the host queen with her bite. However, theoretically, the old female should be resistant to the poison of the conqueror, because they both belong to the same genus and have similar toxins. Nevertheless, nature, having “taught” black hornets to parasitize, rewarded them with a special poison containing additional enzymes and toxins, without which the victory over the old uterus would have been impossible.
As for a person, for him a meeting with a black hornet ends in much the same way as with any other poisonous insect: first of all, there is a very strong throbbing pain. Immediately after the bite, progressive inflammation appears on the affected area, the tissues harden, and severe itching can be felt. In addition, a stung person often has an increased heart rate and shortness of breath.
If an allergic reaction joins the main symptoms, severe pains in the head appear, the mucous membranes swell, and the development of Quincke's edema becomes possible. In about 5-6% of cases, after being bitten by a black hornet, anaphylactic shock occurs, in which the lack of urgent medical care can be fatal.
It is interesting
Scolia bites, unlike the bites of black hornets, are not very dangerous and practically painless. This is explained by the fact that the first insect uses its poison for protection, so its bite should cause quick and sharp pain. The second uses its toxin to immobilize the victim, and it is for this reason that, of all possible active components, its poison contains mainly paralytic substances.
First aid for stinging with a black hornet should include all the standard actions in such cases, namely:
- a cold compress should be applied to the affected area as soon as possible;
- to exclude or alleviate a possible allergic reaction, you need to drink Suprastin or another antihistamine and carefully monitor your own condition;
- if you experience pain in the head, dizziness, high temperature, you should immediately call an ambulance or look for any other way to get to the hospital.
Remember - sensitivity to insect venom is in no way dependent on your physical condition.
In conclusion, it is impossible not to mention that, like most of its relatives, the black hornet is a peace-loving insect, it will only sting a person in self-defense. If you do not touch this insect, do not try to kill it and do not make sudden movements near the nest, it will never attack first.
At the same time, this hornet is able to provide invaluable assistance in the garden: it kills various agricultural pests with great pleasure. So take care of rare black hornets, respect their right to exist and use their services to exterminate harmful insects for free!
Useful video about the danger of hornet bites and first aid rules for the victim
Hornet attack on a person
Thank you. Helped in the lessons of ecology.
God) Thank you, helped in the lesson!
Thanks
In my garden, in the trunk of an old apple tree, a pair of black bumblebees lives. We made two entrances and two exits. I wanted to evict them with water. Insert the hose into the barrel. But I read it and decided not to touch it, let them live.