Asian hornets (Vespa velutina) hovering outside of a beehive waiting to catch returning bees. The bees are guarding the entrance to their hive. After catching a bee, this hornet will begin to dismember it and will only take the bee's thorax back to its nest. This invasive Asian hornet species, also called the Asian predatory wasp, first appeared in France in around 2004, and has been spreading, attacking people and preying on native honey bee species.