Murphy notes that records indicate that the species has been in the United States for nearly a century. ![]() While the worms do not appear to secrete enough of the toxin through the skin to be considered dangerous, Murphy says to exercise caution, as tetrodotoxin is very dangerous. Murphy says there is not enough research on the function of the toxin within the worm’s biology, but it is speculated that the toxin may help the worms to catch prey or to avoid being eaten themselves. The worms produce tetrodotoxin, the same deadly neurotoxin produced by pufferfish, according to a study from Utah State University. However, they are also known to “prey on other soil dwelling invertebrates,” Murphy said. The worms are carnivorous and feed primarily on earthworms, according to Murphy. They say they got there 'just in the nick of time' That 'murder hornet' nest scientists found and destroyed had nearly 200 queens. (Photo by Elaine Thompson / POOL / AFP) (Photo by ELAINE THOMPSON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) ELAINE THOMPSON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images Workers with the state Agriculture Department spent weeks searching, trapping and using dental floss to tie tracking devices to Asian giant hornets, which can deliver painful stings to people and spit venom but are the biggest threat to honeybees that farmers depend on to pollinate crops. Scientists in Washington state discovered the first nest earlier in the week of so-called murder hornets in the United States and worked to wipe it out Saturday morning to protect native honeybees. Washington State Department of Agriculture workers, wearing protective suits and working in pre-dawn darkness illuminated with red lamps, vacuum a nest of Asian giant hornets from a tree on October 24, 2020, in Blaine, Washington.
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