The giant killer wasp, considered by experts to be the largest and most dangerous in the world, was first spotted in the United States in 2019.

In the state of Washington, for the first time this year, an invasive and destructive “murder hornet” was sighted, and the alien-looking insect was behaving accordingly – attacking anything in its path.

The wasp, which can reach a length of 4.4 centimeters, was detected on August 11, just 3.2 kilometers from the initial discovery of this species in the US in December 2019, near Blaine, Washington, according to the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA).

As the nickname suggests, they are highly skilled at killing entire beehives. These insects use their mega mandibles to kill and decapitate bees by the thousands.

Once they have taken over the hive, the wasps defend it as their own, ripping apart the brood to feed their own offspring, said the WSDA.

The venom from a single sting can kill a human.

Furthermore, they inject their prey with a significant amount of venom, the WSDA added. The amount of venom injected in a single sting could kill a human, although such deaths are rare, according to the WSDA.

With this first observation in 2021, the WSDA will be setting up live traps in the area; entomologists will then tag the captured wasps so they can track the individual back to its nest.

Since the sighting occurred just 0.8 km from the US-Canada border, officials there will also be installing additional traps, the WSDA reported in a statement.