Yellow-legged hornet, also known as Asian hornet: laboratory confirmed UK sightings
Annual laboratory confirmed UK sightings of the yellow-legged hornet, also known as Asian hornet (Vespa velutina).
Documents
Details
List of sightings of the yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina) in the UK which have been confirmed in a laboratory.
You can report sightings of the yellow-legged hornet using the reporting form managed by the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.
For help identifying yellow-legged hornets, see the Non-Native Species Secretariat’s identification guide.
Updates to this page
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Updated the page with confirmed sightings in June and July 2025.
Update history
2025-10-07 15:23
Updated the list of confirmed sightings.
2025-09-12 15:39
Updated the page with confirmed nests found and destroyed since May 2025.
2025-07-14 15:46
Updated the page with confirmed sightings in June and July 2025.
2025-06-25 10:46
Updated the page with confirmed sightings for June 2025.
2025-06-24 09:30
Updated the page with confirmed sightings for May and June 2025.
2025-06-09 14:24
Added 4 sightings of yellow-legged hornets in May 2025. Removed a sighting of a single hornet in Hythe, Southampton on 17 April 2025, as this sighting was unconfirmed.
2025-05-09 13:22
Updated the page with further confirmed sightings for April 2025.
2025-04-22 15:47
Updated the page with confirmed sightings for April 2025.
2025-03-27 13:16
We’ve updated the number of yellow-legged hornet sightings with 1 new sighting in January 2025 and 1 in March 2025.
2024-12-03 16:26
One confirmed sighting from November 2024 has been added.
2024-11-05 12:33
One confirmed sighting from October 2024 has been added. Two confirmed sightings from November 2024 have also been added.
2024-10-23 11:38
One confirmed sighting from October 2024 has been added.
2024-10-04 15:33
Added 2 new confirmed Asian hornet sightings in September 2024 (Great Maxfield, East Sussex and Southampton, Hampshire)
2024-09-19 10:15
Updated confirmed sightings for September 2024.
2024-09-12 15:57
One confirmed sighting from August added. 4 confirmed sightings from September added.
2024-08-29 09:00
Added confirmed sightings for July and August in UK 2024.
2024-08-21 16:09
Added a link to report sightings of the Asian hornet, and added a link to guidance on identifying the Asian hornet.
2024-07-02 17:23
Added a confirmed sighting of the Asian hornet in June 2024 (Four Oaks, East Sussex).
2024-06-11 12:36
Updated confirmed sightings of Asian hornet in the UK in May and June 2024.
2024-05-31 11:50
Updated the number and list of sightings for May 2024.
2024-05-15 11:44
May and April sightings added.
2024-04-25 16:41
Updated confirmed sightings of Asian hornet in the UK in April 2024.
2024-04-15 17:00
Updated confirmed sightings of Asian hornet in the UK in March 2024.
2024-03-20 10:58
There has been 1 confirmed sighting of Asian hornet in the UK in 2024. Updated the number and list of sightings.
2023-12-11 12:02
Updated list with the latest sightings for November 2023.
2023-11-10 10:28
Updated the list and number of sightings, including additions to October 2023 and corrections to August and September 2023.
2023-10-20 09:49
Updated the number and list of sightings.
2023-10-06 11:30
Updated sighting numbers and details for October 2023.
2023-10-03 17:04
Corrected previous reports of September sightings:Oxted, Surrey: 26 September – 2 nests destroyedYarm, North Yorkshire: 25 September – nest destroyed
2023-09-29 15:51
Updated the number and list of sightings.
2023-09-08 12:22
Updated list of Asian hornet sightings for 2023.
2023-08-22 14:08
Updated list of Asian hornet sightings for 2023.
2023-08-16 09:38
Updated list of Asian hornet sightings for 2023.
2023-08-04 17:06
Current situation updated.
2023-07-17 14:46
There have been 5 confirmed sightings of Asian hornet in the UK in 2023 so far.
2022-10-12 12:02
Nest in Rayleigh, Essex destroyed on 30 September.
2022-09-29 13:03
Several hornets were captured in Rayleigh, Essex. Confirmed on 27 September 2022.
2022-04-29 12:23
A single hornet was captured in Felixstowe, Suffolk on 29 April 2022.