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The public is being urged to continue to be vigilant following further sightings of Asian hornets in Northern Ireland.

An Asian hornet was captured in the Dundonald area of Belfast on Friday 10 October by a member of the public.

The further sightings, also in the Dundonald area, were confirmed by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) on Wednesday.

The NIEA said this suggests the existence of a nest.

The NIEA said officials are now moving to employ “track and trace” methods to establish the location of, and remove, any potential nest in the area.

What is an Asian hornet?

• The Asian Hornet originated from east Asia and was first recorded in France in 2004
• The species is active between April and November, but especially in August and September
• The insect is about 2cm long, mostly black and brown with an orange face, orange tail and yellow legs
• The yellow-legged hornet can be confused with the native European hornet, which is larger and mostly pale yellow with black stripes.
• Their nests are often found in hedges or near to the ground
• The hornets feed on more than 1,000 species including honey bees, bumble bees, butterflies and beetles