Giant Asian hornets have been spotted in the US for the first time, scientists have revealed, the New York Times has reported.
The hornets - which have the nickname "murder hornets" - have been spotted in Washington state, where beekeepers have been confronted with the sight of bees that have had their heads ripped off, the Washington State Department of Agriculture reports.
Related - This couple had a hive containing over 60,000 bees cut out of their ceiling:Per WSU Insider, a bee breeder at the Washington State University's department of entomology, Susan Cobey, said: "They're like something out of a monster cartoon with this huge yellow-orange face."
This comes as bee populations around the world are suffering a sharp decline, with the National Geographic reporting that some areas of the US have seen their bee populations decline by as much as 90%.
According to experts at Washington State University, the Asian giant hornets, which measure more than two inches long, can actually kill humans if they are stung multiple times, which is why they've been dubbed "murder hornets".
To put the size of the Asian giant hornets into context, this is how big they are compared to other insects:
Seth Truscott of WSU's college of agricultural, human, and natural resource sciences said that while it's not known how the insects made their way into the US, they can be transported in cargo.
"Hornets are most destructive in the late summer and early fall, when they are on the hunt for sources of protein to raise next year's queens," Truscott said, according to WSU Insider.
"They attack honey bee hives, killing adult bees and devouring bee larvae and pupae, while aggressively defending the occupied colony," he added. "Their stings are big and painful, with a potent neurotoxin. Multiple stings can kill humans, even if they are not allergic."
Beekeepers and residents in Washington State are now being encouraged to report every sighting of the Asian giant hornets in a bid to have them eradicated.
"Don't try to take them out yourself if you see them," said entomologist Chris Looney of the state Department of Agriculture. "If you get into them, run away, then call us! It is really important for us to know of every sighting if we're going to have any hope of eradication."
If you are in Washington State and spot Asian giant hornets, you can report them to authorities using an app from the Washington Invasive Species Council.
