Hornet. High-speed photograph of a hornet (Vespula crabro) in flight above a green-leafed twig. This species is the largest member of the wasp family

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Hornet. High-speed photograph of a hornet (Vespula crabro) in flight above a green-leafed twig. This species is the largest member of the wasp family found in the UK. Although it has a reputation for ill temper, the hornet only stings when severely provoked. Its venom contains a cocktail of nerve- stimulants designed to trigger excruciating pain as well as inflammation. If the sting strikes a blood vessel or the tongue, or if the victim is hypersensitive, the effect is potentially fatal. Hornets are social insects and live in nests made from wood pulp inside hollow trees.

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Size: 3484px × 5106px
Photo credit: © DR. JOHN BRACKENBURY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: animal, crabro, flight, high-speed, hornet, insect, insecta, invertebrate, invertebrates, nature, photo, type, vespa, wasp, wildlife, zoology