The video you will see is extraordinary in every way. In the foreground you will see a gigantic Vespa mandarina, a type of Asian hornet that measures almost three inches. Second, you will witness the extraction of a parasite that lived within it.
The strange intruder that lived in this hornet is known as Xenos moutoni, a parasite that belongs to the order Strepsipsera which has the ability to spend all of its life in the abdomen of these wasps or similar insects, altering the behavior of the host. It is kind of similar to the fungus that turns ants into zombies.
Quem quer 1 real? É só pegar! 😂
Vespa mandarina japonesa. 🐝❤️ pic.twitter.com/odPCanV2Nb
The insects that are victims of the Xenos moutoni begin to experience nutritional disorders, when they eventually fly where there are other infected species, the male parasite leaves the abdomen of the hornet, it pairs with the female parasite where they remain inside their host. In the end, the wasps that had the male inside them die.
On the other side of the coin, The Asian giant hornet is a relentless hunter that preys on other large insects such as bees, other species of wasps.
The Giant Asian Hornet, Vespa mandarina, at work https://t.co/cnsoFTRjKu
— John Feltwell (@JohnFeltwell) July 30, 2018
Hornets often attack bee hives with the goal of obtaining their larvae. Hornets can devastate a bee colony: a single hornet can kill 40 bees per minute.
The sting of the Asian giant hornet is about 6 millimeters in length, and injects an especially potent poison that contains an enzyme so strong that it can dissolve human tissue.
The Japanese Hornet is one of the largest and most venomous hornets in the world. A sting from this bug can result in kidney failure. pic.twitter.com/x444zhUlOZ
— Part of MHS class of 2023 (@Melina65547173) February 20, 2020
If a giant hornet stings a person and does not receive medical attention quickly, the individual can die from a reaction to the poison. About 40 people die each year after being stung by these giant hornets.
