The Yellow-Legged Asian Hornet - A Handbook - Paperbackby Sarah Bunker (Author) Around 2004, the Asian or yellow legged hornet (Vespa velutina nigrithorax) was accidentally imported into southern France from China, and it has spread through western European countries with astonishing speed. Since 2016 there have been incursions into the UK, and these are becoming more frequent as the population on the continent increases in numbers. In 2023 72 nests were found in 56 locations, mainly in south east