Thank you for your question. The insect in your photos is the European hornet, scientific name Vespa crabro.

The European hornet's native distribution ranges from the United Kingdom to Japan. It is believed to have been introduced to the United States by settlers in New York in 1840.

The head of V. crabro is yellow on the front, but the rest of the head is a darker shade of orange. The abdomen of V. crabro is black and the remaining portion is yellow with black tear drops, similar to the pattern of our yellow jackets.

V. crabro nests in natural cavities, like hollow portions inside trees or sometimes inside the walls of buildings. Occasionally, they will construct a visible nest under a roof overhang or some other protective structure. Their nests are usually more than six feet above the ground.

European hornets also have a unique characteristic compared to our other bees, wasps and hornets. They can be active at night, and they are often attracted to porch lights and will sometimes repeatedly bump into the panes of lighted windows.

Here’s a link to a fact sheet for the European hornet:

https://extension.psu.edu/european-hornet

I hope this answers your question, and thank you for contacting Ask an Expert.

Jim