Kim Taylor / European Hornet (Vespa crabro) head of queen showing eyes and ocelli. Surrey, UK

Kim Taylor / Male Hornet {Vespa crabro} flying to over ripe apple, Dorset, England.

Kim Taylor / Hornet {Vespa crabro} flying, UK.

Kim Taylor / Hornet (Vespa crabro) worker feeding on Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium) UK.

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.

Heather Angel / Hornet raiding Wasp brood on nest attached to bamboo stem. Wasps moving to top of nest. Shunan Zhuhai National Park, Sichuan Province, China.

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

Robin Chittenden / Oriental Hornet (Vespa orientalis) Zakynthos, Greece

Robin Chittenden / Oriental Hornet (Vespa orientalis) with another smaller wasp (Vespula sp) and ants feeding on discarded food, Zakynthos, Greece

Ernie Janes / Hornet (Vespa crabro) close up of head.

Ernie Janes / Hornet (Vespa crabro) close up of head