Discovery of 'Murder Hornet' in U.S. Pacific Northwest worries agriculture officials

WASHINGTON (Reuters): Hundreds of Asian giant hornets, an invasive, predatory insect dubbed the "murder hornet," have turned up in Washington state near the Canadian border, where they pose a threat to humans and the beekeeping industry, state agriculture officials said on Monday.

The stinging Vespa mandarinia can grow as large as 2-1/2 inches (6.35 cm) in length and is native to Southeast Asia, China and Taiwan. It was first discovered in Blaine, Washington, in December by a homeowner, according to Sven-Erik Spicheger, managing entomologist at the Washington state Agriculture Department.