Murder Hornets have gotten an impressive rebrand. Yes, the pesky insects that took social media by storm back in 2020 have been given a new name by the Entomological Society of America. As a part of the Better Common Names Project, the creatures will now be known as the Northern giant hornet. This move comes as the Asian Giant Hornet distinction had spurred on some negative depictions of these insects in media. These hornets can grow to 2 inches long and sparked a massive concern on social media when they were sighted in Washington right before the pandemic started. As the population grew in North America, there was concern that bees and other organisms could end up being adversely affected by their presence. The situation seems to be under control now, and it’s a new lease on life for the northern giant hornet. Check out what the Better Common Names project handles down below.
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“By participating in the Better Common Names Project and helping to change problematic common names of insects, you will help ensure that insect common names are respectful, inclusive, and descriptive of the insect,” their website reads. “Using better common names will increase the effectiveness of communication with the public, enhance the reputation of entomology and entomologists, build a more inclusive discipline, and reduce harm to our members and non-members alike.”
Discovery+ actually debuted a documentary on the insects last year. Check out a description for Attack of the Murder Hornets down below:
“The international phenomenon of the hornet first struck the nation with ferocity and destructive force last year, as scientists quickly discovered detrimental impacts on other species, such as honeybees. ‘Murder Hornets’ use their enormous mandibles to behead every honeybee they catch; a single hornet can behead 20 bees a minute, and a small group of hornets can destroy a hive of 30,000 bees in just 90 minutes. The danger of the hornet in the U.S. threatens our fragile food supply, putting the livelihood of honeybees — the world’s most important pollinator of food crops — at risk. A threat to a honeybee is a threat to all of us.”
“In a state of distress while also in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chris Looney, entomologist at the Washington State Department of Agriculture sets out on a mission to track down the hornets. He is joined by experts and bee enthusiasts alike, including beekeepers Ted McFall and Ruthie Danielsen, Sven-Erik Spichiger, government insect-expert, and Conrad Bérubé, the first person to destroy a Murder Hornet nest in North America. In an effort to stop the spread of the invasive species in the U.S., the team must band together to track down a nest before the queens inside can escape to start their own colonies. In October 2020, camera crews followed the team of passionate beekeepers and scientists on a hunt that lead to the historical discovery of the first Asian Giant Hornet nest in America- crawling with hundreds of ‘Murder Hornet’ offspring.”
Do you remember the hornet situation from early in the pandemic? Let us know down in the comments!
