I know that this topic has been edged out by bigger, and ultimately more important things, but I had a specific request to cover “murder hornets” in a comic, so here it is! Yeah, they’re scary looking compared to other wasps, but they’re not the big deal that the more sensationalized end of the media likes to make of them. (Keep in mind I lived through the killer bees hype of the 1980s. This ain’t my first “DANGEROUS HYMENOPTERAN!” rodeo.) This isn’t to say it isn’t crucial that we intercept these invasive wasps when we find them to try and prevent them from becoming established. But at this point there have been only literally a handful of them found here recently, and more native pollinators have died as a result of the hype than any actual Asian giant hornets.

Species portrayed: Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia), European honey bee (Apis mellifera), black-tailed bumble bee (Bombus melanopygus), hairy cat’s ear (Hypochaeris radicata)