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

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

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...

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

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

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

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

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.

Klein & Hubert / European hornet (Vespa crabro) feeding on pear in autumn, France.

Klein & Hubert / European hornet (Vespa crabro) feeding on pear in autumn, France.

Klein & Hubert / European hornet (Vespa crabro) and Greenbottle flies (Lucilla caesar) feeding on fallen pear in autumn, France.

Kim Taylor / European Hornet (Vespa crabro) workers drinking sap from a wound they have created on a Cotoneaster branch. Surrey, England, UK, September.

Dave Bevan / Wood ants (Formica rufa) moving a dead Common wasp (Vespula vulgaris), Bedfordshire, England, UK. September.

Dave Bevan / Wood ants (Formica rufa) moving a dead Common wasp (Vespula vulgaris), Bedfordshire, England, UK. September.

John Abbott / Polistes sp. (Paper Wasp) in flight, captured using high speed flashes Travis County, Texas, USA. Controlled conditions. March

John Abbott / European hornet (Vespa crabro germana), Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, USA September

John Abbott / European hornet (Vespa crabro germana) on white background, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, USA September

John Abbott / European hornet (Vespa crabro germana) on white background, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, USA September

John Abbott / European hornet (Vespa crabro germana) flying, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, USA Controlled conditions. September

David Kjaer / Hornet (Vespa crabro) Wiltshire, UK

David Kjaer / Hornet (Vespa crabro) front portrait, Wiltshire, UK

David Kjaer / Hornet (Vespa crabro), Wiltshire, UK, July.

Stephen Dalton / European hornet (Vespa crabro) in flight against white background. Sussex, England, UK. October.

Stephen Dalton / Hornet (Vespa crabro) feeding on ivy flower nectar. Sussex, England, UK. October.

Kim Taylor / European hornet (Vespa crabro) worker feeding on Victoria plum. Surrey, England, August.

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

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

Kim Taylor / RF- European hornet (Vespa crabro) worker in flight, Surrey, England, August. (This image may be licensed either as rights managed or royalty free.)

Kim Taylor / European hornet (Vespa crabro) worker in flight carrying debris from the nest. Surrey, England, August.

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

Kim Taylor / European hornet (Vespa crabro) worker in flight carrying masticated insect material to the nest. Surrey, England, August.

Dietmar Nill / European hornet (Vespa crabro) building nest, Germany, September.

Dietmar Nill / European hornet (Vespa crabro) building nest, Germany, September.