Palinurus
The Living Force
Source: https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2017/09/asian-hornet-spotted-in-zeeland-first-sighting-in-the-netherlands/
Asian hornet spotted in Zeeland, first sighting in the Netherlands
September 18, 2017
Photo: Yasunori Koide via Wikimedia Commons
An Asian hornet has been spotted and photographed for the first time in the Netherlands, website Waarneming.nl (in Dutch) reported on Monday.
The hornet was photographed sitting on a leaf on the Zeeland island Schouwen-Duiveland.
Asian hornets, which can measure up to 45mm, are the largest of the hornet species and have been on the EU list of invasive alien species (two page PDF-file in English) since August 2016. This means the authorities are obliged to track down and destroy their nests.
In April, Asian hornets were spotted in Belgium, about 50 km from the Dutch border. The hornets prey on honey bees and other pollinating insects.
