Overview
- In peer-reviewed trials published December 3 in Ecosphere, black-spotted pond frogs consumed northern giant hornets in about 79 percent of encounters, with higher success against two other hornet species.
- All 45 frogs tested (15 per hornet species) attacked and swallowed prey whole, and none regurgitated after eating.
- Frogs were stung on the mouth, tongue, and eyes during predation but showed no visible injury or distress.
- Shinji Sugiura of Kobe University hypothesizes the hornets’ venom targets birds and mammals, while experts note amphibians often tolerate toxic prey due to whole-prey swallowing and protective mucus.
- The findings follow earlier invasive-species concerns about the hornet in North America, which was declared eradicated in the United States in December 2024, as researchers explore potential biomedical insights for pain or inflammation control.