Swarms of killer hornets have flooded into some rural areas of central China, fatally attacking at least 42 people and injuring more than a thousand citizens.
The hornets, currently in their fall mating season, have terrorized three cities in Shaanxi province since July, local government officials reported to CNN. Out of the 1,675 people who suffered injuries after toxic hornet stings, 37 are still in critical or serious condition.
Since the middle of summer, these aggressive hornets have streamed into schools, chasing children. They've also plunged into the fields of Shaanxi, catching unsuspecting farm workers off guard.
One victim of the hornet attacks, Mu Conghui, was attacked in Ankang City while she tended her millet crop.
"The hornets were horrifying," she told news agency Xinhua. "They hit right at my head and covered my legs. All of a sudden I was stung and I couldn't move. Even now, my legs are covered with sting holes."
After two months of dialysis treatments to remove the toxins from her body and hundreds of stitches, Mu still cannot move her legs. Photos of citizens who fell victim to attacks have large sores about the size of bullet wounds dotted all over their bodies.
Authorities told CNN that these attacks are from a species of hornet that bears especially potent venom, called the Asian giant hornet or vespa mandarinia. This kind of hornet can grow to almost 4 centimeters in length - about the size of a human thumb. It is known as the world's biggest hornet.
"The venom of an Asian giant hornet is very special compared with other hornets or yellow jackets," Shunichi Makino, director general of the Hokkaido Research Center for Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute told CNN. "The neurotoxic - especially to other mammals, including humans - it's a special brand of venom."
The hornets become especially aggressive during their mating season, which begins in September and ends in late October. Deputy Director of the Shaanxi Bee and Wasp Industry Association Li Jiuzhou said that the hornets might be more destructive this year because of warmer weather. Additionally, laborers have been expanding their work spaces, moving into locations where they run the risk of disrupting hornet communities. Jiuzhou specified that the creatures will only attack humans if they are agitated.
Local authorities are currently employing thousands of police officers to destroy the hives - 710 hives have been removed so far.