#ICYMI Here is our image comparing #AsianGiantHornet to other flying insects. No, its name is not the #murderhornet pic.twitter.com/cwIgIPGC1t
— WA St Dept of Agr (@WSDAgov) May 3, 2020
With the arrival of an invasive insect species in Washington state, and with the New York Times publishing a story about them, the usage of the term “murder hornet” has rapidly increased in the last week. Entomologists, however, say that naming these species as “murder hornets” is irresponsible.
"It's a ridiculous name," said Akito Kawahara, an entomologist at the Florida Museum of Natural History who researches the evolution and diversity of insects. "I think it's totally misleading."
"Insects already have a bad perception," he added.
[...]
The insects are not even commonly called "murder hornets" in Japan, where they're native. "No one calls them 'murder hornet,'" explained Kawahara. "People there often call them a 'large hornet' or a 'giant hornet,'" he said.
While these hornets are not aggressive to humans (except when you poke their nests), they could, however, be a threat to Western honey bees. But Kawahara assures the people.
"Don't freak out," cautioned Kawahara, noting it's unknown how many hornet colonies there are in the U.S. "Lots of things come to the country and they aren’t able to survive. Just be aware."
More details about this over at Mashable.
In summary, just call it a large hornet.
What are your thoughts about this one?
(Image Credit: WA State Dept. of Agriculture/ Twitter)