Vespa orientalis Worker Wasp True Hornet Insect Hymenopterus Vespidae (2)

Vespa orientalis cm 2-2.3 wing span cm 1.8-2 Queen Wasp True Hornet Insect Hymenopterus Vespidae, A2 quality (the specimen has damages of varying degrees).
Family: Vespidae.
Common name: The Oriental Hornet.

The oriental hornet (Vespa orientalis Linnaeus, 1771) is a wasp similar to the European hornet (Vespa crabro). It should not be confused with the larger Vespa mandarinia, native to East Asia and not present in Europe.
The species is widespread in southeastern Europe (including southern Italy), the Middle East, and Madagascar.
The oriental hornet is native to the peninsula, however, sightings are increasing in central and southern Italy, likely due to climate change, and its range in Italy is expanding northward.
The oriental hornet builds its nest similarly to the hornet, namely in tree cavities and abandoned houses, but it may also occasionally nest in the ground.
Researchers have discovered that the yellow bands on this wasp's abdomen contain a pigment called xanthopterin, which absorbs solar energy and activates the wasps. In fact, they prefer to work in the late afternoon, unlike many other hornet species, which prefer to work in the cool of the morning or early evening to avoid excessive heat.
In autumn, this wasp carries out massive attacks on Apis mellifera sicula hives (where this species is present, such as on the island of Cyprus). These hives cannot be killed by stinging, as their skin has such a tough cuticle that it is impervious to their stingers. Therefore, the bees ball them up, suffocating them. It has been shown that the thermal survival limit is 50.6 ± 0.6°C for the oriental hornet, while for honey bees it is 50.5 ± 0.1°C. Therefore, it is not the temperature that kills the oriental hornet during the curling phase, but rather the abdominal crushing that prevents regular breathing, with a drop in humidity and a spike in carbon dioxide.
The oriental hornet is recognizable by its intense, almost uniform reddish hue, broken only by the yellow color present in a broad band on the abdomen and a spot on the head.