Colin Varndell / Hornet (Vespa crabro) drinking at bird bath. Dorset, UK, July.

Kim Taylor / European hornet (Vespa crabro) worker in flight, Surrey, England, August.

Dietmar Nill / European hornet (Vespa crabro) fanning nest with wings to regulate the temperature, Germany, September.

Kim Taylor / European Hornet (Vespa crabro) queen approaching nest. Surrey, England, May

Nick Upton / 2020VISION / Queen Hornet (Vespa crabro) feeding on Knotweed flower (Persicaria bistorta "superba") in garden, Wiltshire, England, UK, May . Property released.

Daniel Heuclin / Male Asian hornet (Vespa velutina nigrithorax) France, November 2011

Kim Taylor / European Hornet (Vespa crabro) workers feeding on Cotoneaster sap from a wound that they have created by chewing away the bark. Surrey, UK, September.

Ernie Janes / Close up of tail sting of Hornet (Vespa crabro) UK

Alex Hyde / European hornet (Vespa crabro) head close up showing the three ocelli between the two compound eyes.

Kim Taylor / European hornet (Vespa crabro) worker flying with middle and hind legs extended ready to attack and sting an intruder threatening the nest, Surrey, England

Kim Taylor / European hornet (Vespa crabro) worker flying with middle and hind legs extended ready to attack and sting an intruder threatening the nest, Surrey, England

Kim Taylor / European Hornet (Vespa crabro) head of queen showing eyes and ocelli. Surrey, UK

Kim Taylor / Hornet {Vespa crabro} flying, UK.

Kim Taylor / Hornet (Vespa crabro) worker feeding on Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium) UK.

Pal Hermansen / European hornet (Vespa crabro) launching attack on resting Camberwell beauty butterfly (Nymphalis antiopa). Akershus, Norway. August.

Ingo Arndt / Honey bee (Apis mellifera) defensive position, preparing to fend off a Hornet (Vespa crabro) attack, Germany. July.

Ingo Arndt / Honey bees (Apis mellifera) attacking a hornet (Vespa crabro). Honeybees survive a 1 degree Celsius higher body temperature than hornets. When they attack a hornet, they cover it, heat their own bodie...

Ingo Arndt / Honey bees (Apis mellifera) attacking a hornet (Vespa crabro). Honeybees survive a 1 degree Celsius higher body temperature than hornets. When they attack the hornet, they cover it, heat their own bod...

Ingo Arndt / Honey bees (Apis mellifera) attacking a hornet (Vespa crabro). Honeybees survive a 1 degree Celsius higher body temperature than hornets. When they attack the hornet, they cover it, heat their own bod...

Ingo Arndt / Honey bees (Apis mellifera) attacking a hornet (Vespa crabro). Honeybees survive a 1 degree Celsius higher body temperature than hornets. When they attack a hornet, they cover it, heat their own bodie...

Ingo Arndt / Honey bees (Apis mellifera) attacking a hornet (Vespa crabro). Honeybees survive a 1 degree Celsius higher body temperature than hornets. When they attack the hornet, they cover it, heat their own bod...

Ingo Arndt / Honey bees (Apis mellifera) attacking a hornet (Vespa crabro). Honeybees survive a 1 degree Celsius higher body temperature than hornets. When they attack the hornet, they cover it, heat their own bod...

Ingo Arndt / Honey bees (Apis mellifera) attacking a hornet (Vespa crabro). Honeybees survive a 1 degree Celsius higher body temperature than hornets. When they attack the hornet, they cover it, heat their own bod...

Chris Mattison / European hornet (Vespa crabro) close-up. Focus-stacked image.

Andy Sands / Hornet hoverfly (Volucella zonaria) perched on leaf, Buckinghamshire, England, UK, June - Focus Stacked

Andy Sands / European hornet (Vespa crabro) chewing up Bush cricket to take back to nest, Bulgaria, August

Andy Sands / Hornet robberfly (Asilus crabroniformis) mating pair on Bramble leaf, Oxfordshire, England, UK, August - Focus Stacked

Dave Bevan / European hornet (Vespa crabro) leaving nest site in a wood stack, Carmarthenshire, Wales, UK, April.

Heather Angel / Hornet (Vespa crabro) nectaring on Ivy (Hedera helix), pollen transferred to hairy legs and hairs on underside of head, thorax and abdomen. In woodland, Surrey, England, UK. October.

Colin Varndell / Hornet (Vespa crabro) drinking at bird bath. Dorset, UK, July.

Andy Sands / Hornet (Vespa crabro) hanging by one leg whilst dis-membering prey, Buckinghamshire, England, UK, July

Ernie Janes / Hornet (Vespa crabro) close up of head.

Ernie Janes / Hornet (Vespa crabro) close up of head

Robin Chittenden / Oriental Hornet (Vespa orientalis) Zakynthos, Greece

Robin Chittenden / Oriental Hornet (Vespa orientalis) with another smaller wasp (Vespula sp) and ants feeding on discarded food, Zakynthos, Greece

Bernard Castelein / Hornet (Vespa crabo) feeding on rotten fruit,, Brasschaat, Belgium. August

Rod Williams / Hornet (Vespa crabro) feeding on ivy blossom, Brockley Gardens, Lewisham, London, England, UK. September.

Rod Williams / Hoverfly (Volucella inanis) female, wasp-mimic feeding on creeping thistle, Sutcliffe Park Nature Reserve, Eltham, London, England, UK, July.

Rod Williams / Hornet-mimic hoverfly (Volucella zonaria) feeding on cow parsley Brockley Cemetery, Lewisham, London, England, UK. July.

Rod Williams / Hoverfly (Volucella inanis) male feeding on creeping thistle Sutcliffe Park Nature Reserve, Eltham, London, England, UK, July.

Rod Williams / Wasp-mimic hoverfly (Volucella inanis) feeding on buddleia Lewisham, London, England, UK, August.

Rod Williams / Hoverfly (Volucella inanis) female, wasp mimic, Hutchinson's Bank, New Addington, London, England, UK. August.

Nick Upton / Lesser hornet hoverfly (Volucella inanis) portrait, sunning on vegetation, Wiltshire, UK, August.

Nick Upton / Lesser hornet hoverfly (Volucella inanis) feeding on a Wild marjoram (Origanum vulgare) flowerhead with its long proboscis, Wiltshire, UK, August.

Will Watson / Male European Hornet, (Vespa crabro), on Japanese Aralia/False Castor Oil Plant (Fatsia japonica) garden, Herefordshire Plateau, England.

Dave Bevan / European hornet (Vespa crabro) on Common ivy (Hedera helix) flowers, Norfolk, England, UK, October.

Dave Bevan / Two European hornets (Vespa crabro) on Common ivy (Hedera helix) flowers, Norfolk, England, UK, October.

Stephen Dalton / Hornet (Vespa) feeding on sap, Rookery Wood, Sussex, England, UK, September.