Officials confirm first live 'murder hornet' sighting in US this year

Officials confirmed the first sighting of a live "murder hornet" in Washington this year.

A Whatcom County resident reported a sighting to the Washington State Department of Agriculture, and entomologists confirmed it as an Asian giant hornet Thursday, according to a news release from the WSDA. 

“This hornet is exhibiting the same behavior we saw last year – attacking paper wasp nests,” Sven Spichiger, WSDA managing entomologist, said in the news release.

This is the second Asian giant hornet sighting in 2021, but it's the first time the insect was found alive. In June, officials said they found a dead hornet north of Seattle.

The invasive insect – normally found in eastern and southeast Asia – was first spotted in the USA in 2019 and poses a threat to insects and honeybees that are vital in agriculture.

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A nest discovered in October 2020 was knocked down in Blaine, Washington, and the hornets were vacuumed out in what entomologists called the first Asian giant hornet nest in the USA.

The insects are the largest hornets in the world and got the "murder" nickname after they were blamed for up to 50 deaths a year in Japan. 

In response to the latest sighting, WSDA said it will set up traps in the area in hopes of tagging one and tracking it back to its nest.

Follow reporter Asha Gilbert @Coastalasha. Email: agilbert@usatoday.com.