A sharp increase in the number of an invasive species of hornets in Britain is raising concerns that they could threaten native bee populations. There have been 22 sightings of the so-called Asian hornet, or Vespa velutina, this year, more than in the past six years combined, according to British officials. Smaller than Britain’s native hornet, most Asian hornets are about an inch long and have brown thoraxes, yellow legs and black heads with orange faces. Since arriving in France, the population of Asian hornets has grown rapidly. As of last year, the hornets have been seen in European countries including Germany, Spain, Portugal and Italy, according to the National Bee Unit, a British agency.

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Organizations: Secretariat, hornets, National Bee Unit Locations: Britain, Asia, Pacific Northwest, United States, France, China, British, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy