European hornet

7086.      We had a nest of very large dark orange wasps last year, similar to the fat blue ones I have seen before. This is a wasp found in August. This is not the biggest I have seen but really want to know what they are. Burlington, Ontario. Canada

Number 7086. This is a European hornet, Vespa crabro (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), an introduced species. Click here for details on its life history.