Here's why report of 'murder hornet' in Toronto is nothing to freak out over

A recent Reddit post sparked concern among Toronto residents after a user shared a photo of a terrifyingly large hornet that landed on their car — but don't worry, there's no reason to fret. 

The post, shared to the Toronto subreddit, suggested the insect might be an Asian giant hornet, also known as a "murder hornet." 

"Sooooo, I [saw] this massive hornet land on my car today and I was thinking, are Asian hornets in Toronto? I looked online and it said they aren't, but when I looked at pictures online of murder hornets, it was this exact same hornet," the user wrote. 

Despite the alarm, entomologists and pest control experts agree that the insect in question was not a murder hornet.

The top comment on the Reddit thread, in fact, correctly identified the insect as a European hornet, a species that has been present in Ontario for decades.

Rebecca Flanagan of Armour Pest Control confirmed the assessment, telling blogTO the insect "looks like a European hornet, which are currently in Toronto and have been for over 160 years."

Dr. Douglas Currie, senior curator of entomology at the Royal Ontario Museum and associate professor at the University of Toronto, also echoed this less-scary conclusion.

"It's clearly not the northern giant hornet that is often referred to in the media as 'murder hornets,'" Dr. Currie said over email.

He added that "the only known North American records for that species are in southern B.C. and northern Washington state, and there have been no confirmed sightings in B.C. since 2021, so they've likely been eradicated from Canada." 

The northern giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) is the world's largest hornet species. Native to parts of Asia, including China, Korea, Japan and northern India, it has earned quite the reputation thanks to its size, aggressive behaviour around nests and ability to decimate honey bee colonies. 

While they pose a serious risk to agriculture and biodiversity if introduced, they are not currently found in Ontario, so you can breathe a sigh of relief. 

Often mistaken for the northern giant hornet, the European hornet (Vespa crabro) is a long-established species in eastern North America. Though large — typically around 2.5 to 3.5 centimetres — it is significantly smaller than the northern giant hornet. 

European hornets have a darker red-brown colouration on their heads and thoraxes, and their abdomens are marked with dark bands and teardrop-shaped patterns.

Although they can appear quite intimidating, particularly to those unfamiliar with them, they are not considered a major threat to humans or ecosystems in Ontario. 

One Reddit commenter familiar with hornets from Asia pointed out a key visual distinction on the post. 

"What this picture doesn't show is how orange Asian hornets are," they wrote. "I was recently in Asia and came across them from time to time. They're much, much bigger and have a bright pumpkin-like orange to them." 

Although it's always within your best interest to be cautious around large insects that can sting, the consensus is clear that this particular sighting is nothing unusual and doesn't indicate the presence of northern giants here in Toronto. Phew!