The Yellow-Legged Hornet (YLH) is a wasp species native to Southeast Asia that has been confirmed in France and other western European countries. Recently, the first confirmed sighting of this pest was in Savannah. This species builds an egg-shaped paper nest above ground, and is often found it trees. The nests are large and can house roughly 6,000 workers.
Information from the University of Georgia Department of Entomology indicates that the YLH around 2 cm long and does look somewhat similar to the Pigeon Horntail Sawfly and the Eastern Cicada-Killer Wasp. However, YLH has a narrow waist, the fourth abdominal segment is yellow, and the bottom half of its legs are yellow. One particular issue with this pest is that it is a predator of honey bees. In addition to preying on honey bees, the wasp will all exhibit threatening behavior at the entrance of hives that prevent bees from foraging which can cause the honey bee colony to decline. As far as human interaction, like all other stinging wasps and bees, the YLH poses a threat to those who have allergic reactions. If you believe that you have sighted one of these wasps please visit the Georgia Department of Agriculture at agr.georgia.gov/ yellow-legged-hornet to report the sighting.
