‘Northern Giant Hornet’ Adopted as Common Name for Vespa mandarinia

Annapolis, MD; July 25, 2022—The Entomological Society of America has adopted "northern giant hornet" for the species Vespa mandarinia in its Common Names of Insects and Related Organisms List. Vespa mandarinia is an invasive hornet native to Asia that has been the target of eradication efforts in Washington state, USA, and British Columbia, Canada, after individual hornets were first discovered there in 2019. It has been referred to elsewhere as "Asian giant hornet" or "murder hornet."

ESA Publications - Member Access

The ESA publications program is designed to meet the professional needs of the ESA membership, reflect emerging areas of interest and research in entomology, and promote entomology in all its sub-disciplines for the advancement of science and the benefit of society. Publication policies, procedures, and governance are also covered.

Click below for members-only access.

Common Names of Insects Database

The ESA Common Names database is an essential reference for anyone who works with insects. It includes more than 2,000 common names and is searchable by common name, scientific name, author, order, family, genus, and species.

Better Common Names Project

The Entomological Society of America's Better Common Names Project aims to ensure that insect common names are respectful, inclusive, and accurately descriptive.

Proposed Common Names

Proposed common names that are approved by the Common Names Committee are posted here for member comment for at least 30 days. Currently, no common names are open for comment. Check this page again in the future, and look for notifications about comment periods for proposed common names in ESA eNews.

Subscribe to common names

©️ Entomological Society of America