The Brief: Murder Hornets memes lament how 2020 seems to be getting worse and worse and worse, sometimes in absurd ways.

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You’ve heard of killer bees…now get ready for Murder Hornets. An insect species known as the Asian Giant Hornet or the Murder Hornet has been found in Washington state, inspiring memes about just how awful that sounds.

Murder Hornets can be up to two inches long and are known to decapitate entire bee colonies. Although they don’t typically attack humans unless threatened, their stings are venomous and extremely painful, and they kill up to 50 people a year in Japan. Sightings of Asian Giant Hornets in Washington have caused scientists, beekeepers, and everyday Americans to worry about the implications of this potentially deadly invasive species living nearby.

Murder Hornets memes mostly react to the alarming name of this species and suggest that 2020 keeps getting worse and worse with Australian wildfires, COVID-19, Murder Hornets, and more. Although these memes may paint the Asian Giant Hornet as a bigger threat than it actually is, the idea of extremely venomous insects flying around, decapitating honeybees, and even killing humans is certainly not comforting.

In addition to memes, there have also been posts online where people share photos of ordinary-looking wasps with captions worrying that they are Murder Hornets. Some social media users have used the fact that the hornets come from Asia as an excuse for Anti-Asian racism, indicating that hysteria around these hornets has had negative impacts in and of itself.

The Buzz: Murder Hornets Memes

A Theresa May walking Murder Hornet meme:

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Murder hornets=real life mega beedrill from memes