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What the sources say

European HornetVespa crabro

Every figure, record and mechanism on the European Hornet profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 46 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

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Source
01

Kovac & Stabentheiner 2012

Kovac & Stabentheiner (2012). Does size matter? Biology Open.

The page saysCentral Europe's biggest vespine wasp
The source saysThe hornet ( Vespa crabro ) is the largest species of vespine wasps in Central Europe.Note: tagline; vespine = Vespinae, defined in the body
The page sayswarmed by its own flight muscles
The source saysThe vespine wasps are capable of endothermic heat production by means of their thoracic musclesNote: tagline
The page saysarriving home with a thorax averaging 30 to 40 °C
The source saysthey exhibited similarities in the dependence of thorax temperature on T a on their arrival (mean T th = 30–40°C) and departure (mean T th = 33–40°C) at the nest entranceNote: stats.superpower; arrival mean, reported for hornets and Vespula together
The page saysis the largest of Central Europe's vespine wasps, the group that holds hornets and yellowjackets
The source saysThe hornet ( Vespa crabro ) is the largest species of vespine wasps in Central Europe.
The page sayshornets leaving the nest averaged 477.5 milligrams
The source saysthe hornets had a mean weight of 477.5±59.9 mg ( n = 50 )Note: weight; methods: 'from each colony insects leaving the nest were captured and weighed'
The page saysmore than five times the weight of the common wasps
The source saysThe investigated hornets had more than fivefold the body mass (M b ) of the wasps.
The page saysthe common wasps living in the same area
The source sayswe compared the body temperature of hornets ( Vespa crabro ) with that of smaller native vespine wasps ( Vespula vulgaris, Vespula germanica ) living in the same habitat
The page saysHornets make their own body heat, a skill called endothermy, by working the thoracic muscles
The source saysThe vespine wasps are capable of endothermic heat production by means of their thoracic muscles
The page saysrunning roughly 5 to 18 °C above the surrounding air
The source saysThe thorax temperature excess (T(th)-T(a)) above ambient air of about 5-18°C indicates a high endothermic capacity in both hornets and wasps.Note: abstract; mean arrival Tth 30-40 as above
The page saysThe hornets in that study arrived back at the nest with a thorax averaging 30 to 40 °C
The source sayson their arrival (mean T th = 30–40°C)Note: paper reports this for hornets and Vespula together; 'in that study' scopes it
The page saysMakes its own body heat
The source saysThe vespine wasps are capable of endothermic heat production by means of their thoracic musclesNote: stats.superpower
The page saysweightKg: 0.000478
The source saysthe hornets had a mean weight of 477.5±59.9 mgNote: battleStats.weightKg, task #1254; workers

Source
02

Frantsevich & Gorb 2004

Frantsevich & Gorb (2004). Structure and mechanics of the tarsal chain in the hornet, Vespa crabro (Hymenoptera: Vespidae): implications on the attachment mechanism. Arthropod Structure & Development.

The page saysa hornet in a lab test withstood a pull almost 25 times its own weight
The source saysIn such a position, the insect could withstand an external force which was almost 25 times larger than its own weight.
The page saysClamping the bumps of a rough surface between the claws of opposite legs
The source saysMaximal hold to the substrate was achieved when surface irregularities were clamped between the claws of opposite legs.

Source
03

Foster, Ratnieks & Raybould 2000

Foster, Ratnieks & Raybould (2000). Do hornets have zombie workers? Molecular Ecology.

The page saysIn a study of 15 hornet nests, the males were the queen's sons and the workers never tried to lay eggs
The source saysmale production was studied in 15 hornet nests using a combination of DNA microsatellite analysis (282 males), worker ovary dissections (500 workers from eight nests) and 50 h of observation (four nests). In contrast to our prediction, the data show that hornet males are queens' sons, that workers never attempt to lay eggs

Source
04

Krishnakumari & Nagaraj 1997

Krishnakumari & Nagaraj (1997). Antimicrobial and hemolytic activities of crabrolin, a 13-residue peptide from the venom of the European hornet, Vespa crabro, and its analogs. The Journal of Peptide Research.

The page saysThe venom holds crabrolin, a short chain of 13 amino acids that, in lab tests, can act against bacteria and also damage red blood cells
The source sayswe describe antibacterial and hemolytic activities of crabrolin: FLPLILRKIVTAL-NH2, a 13-residue-peptide present in the venom of the hornet Vespa crabroNote: hemolytic = red blood cell lysis; the abstract says 'hemolytic activities'

Source
05

Penn State Extension

European Hornet. Penn State Extension.

The page saysnative to Europe and Asia
The source saysEuropean hornets (Figure 1) are native to Europe and Asia
The page saysintroduced to eastern North America
The source saysThey were introduced from central Europe into North America and first detected in the 1840s. European hornets have since become widespread and well established in the eastern United States
The page saysInsects such as grasshoppers, flies and yellowjackets
The source saysEuropean hornets are predatory for most of the year and hunt other insects, including grasshoppers, various flies, and yellowjackets
The page saysWorkers reach up to 25 millimetres, an inch, and queens up to 35.
The source saysEuropean hornet workers can be up to an inch (25 mm) long while queens are slightly larger and can reach 1.3 inches (35 mm).
The page saysThey take grasshoppers, flies and even yellowjackets
The source sayshunt other insects, including grasshoppers, various flies, and yellowjackets
The page saysthey sometimes attack honey bees, apparently more often in Europe than in North America
The source saysThey sometimes attack honey bees, although this behavior appears to be more common in Europe than in North America.
The page saysThey add sugar to the diet too, especially in autumn, stripping bark off bushes such as lilac to feed on the sap
The source saysEuropean hornets incorporate sugar and carbohydrates into their diet, particularly in the fall. ... strip the bark off of certain bushes (particularly lilac) to feed on plant sap
The page saysthe only nocturnal wasp in Pennsylvania, and it is sometimes drawn to porch lights at night
The source saysEuropean hornets are also the only nocturnal wasp in Pennsylvania and are sometimes attracted to porch lights at night.
The page saysThe sting is about as painful as a honey bee's
The source saysthe sting from a European hornet is only about as painful as a honey bee sting
The page saysThe stinger is smooth, and a hornet can sting more than once
The source saysUnlike honey bees, European hornets have smooth stingers and can sting multiple times.
The page saysAt the mid-September peak most nests hold 200 to 400 workers, and large ones up to 1,000
The source saysNest size peaks in mid-September, when most nests contain 200–400 workers, although large nests may have up to 1,000 workers.
The page saysThe workers die in autumn, and only mated queens survive the winter
The source saysThis means the nest and workers die out in the fall and the only individuals that survive are fertilized queens
The page saysIt was first detected in North America in the 1840s, and Penn State's 2024 factsheet calls it widespread in the eastern United States
The source saysfirst detected in the 1840s. European hornets have since become widespread and well established in the eastern United StatesNote: PSU page 'Updated: July 19, 2024'
The page saysPenn State gives workers as up to 25 millimetres (an inch) long and queens as slightly larger, up to 35 millimetres.
The source saysEuropean hornet workers can be up to an inch (25 mm) long while queens are slightly larger and can reach 1.3 inches (35 mm).Note: FAQ 1
The page saysPenn State's factsheet calls it the one wasp in Pennsylvania that is active at night, and says it sometimes turns up at porch lights after dark
The source saysEuropean hornets are also the only nocturnal wasp in Pennsylvania and are sometimes attracted to porch lights at night.Note: FAQ 2
The page saysbrought from central Europe to North America and first detected in the 1840s, and its 2024 factsheet calls them well established across the eastern United States
The source saysThey were introduced from central Europe into North America and first detected in the 1840s. European hornets have since become widespread and well established in the eastern United StatesNote: FAQ 3
The page saysFor most of the year hornets are hunters
The source saysEuropean hornets are predatory for most of the year
The page saysintroduced to eastern North America
The source saysThey were introduced from central Europe into North America and first detected in the 1840s. European hornets have since become widespread and well established in the eastern United StatesNote: stats.habitat
The page saysnative to Europe and Asia
The source saysEuropean hornets (Figure 1) are native to Europe and AsiaNote: stats.habitat and body
The page saysPenn State's 2024 factsheet
The source saysUpdated: July 19, 2024Note: date of the page behind the 'widespread' current-state claims (body and FAQ 3)
The page saysthe only nocturnal wasp in Pennsylvania, sometimes drawn to porch lights at night
The source saysEuropean hornets are also the only nocturnal wasp in Pennsylvania and are sometimes attracted to porch lights at night.Note: vibe.reason; same quote as the body sentence "the only nocturnal wasp in Pennsylvania, and it is sometimes drawn to porch ligh"
The page saysdangerLevel: Medium
The source saysDespite their large size, the sting from a European hornet is only about as painful as a honey bee sting.Note: stats.dangerLevel, task #1254
The page saysdangerLevel: Medium
The source saysEuropean hornet stings should resolve on their own in one to a few hours without complicationsNote: stats.dangerLevel, task #1254
The page saystags: nocturnal
The source saysEuropean hornets are also the only nocturnal wasp in Pennsylvania and are sometimes attracted to porch lights at night.Note: tags, task #1254; state-scoped wording, but it describes the species

Source
06

Virginia Cooperative Extension

European Hornet. Virginia Cooperative Extension.

The page sayshornets do not seem particularly aggressive unless they are defending the nest
The source saysthey do not appear to be particularly aggressive or vicious unless defending their nest

Source
07

Welsh Wildlife Trust

Hornet (Vespa crabro). Welsh Wildlife Trust.

The page saysMostly woodland, parkland and gardens
The source saysthe hornet lives mostly in woodland, parkland and gardensNote: stats.habitat; Welsh (UK) habitat description; range from PSU below
The page saysplus nectar and sap
The source saysthey feed themselves on high-energy substances like nectar and sap
The page saysa queen leaves her winter hiding place and starts a nest, often in a hollow tree, chewing wood into paper
The source saysQueen hornets emerge from hibernation in spring and start to build their nests by chewing up wood - these 'paper' nests are often made in hollow trees, or in cavities in buildings.
The page saysplus nectar and sap
The source saysthey feed themselves on high-energy substances like nectar and sap

Source
08

Integrated Taxonomic Information System

Vespa crabro Linnaeus. Integrated Taxonomic Information System.

The page saysNot Evaluated
The source saysVespa crabro LinnaeusNote: stats.conservationStatus. No Red List assessment of Vespa crabro was found by the prefetch (GBIF holds no category for this name, Crossref no assessment DOI), so no IUCN reference is cited; ITIS confirms the accepted name. Precedent antlion.

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.