Yes, “murder hornets” are real. But no, they are not in Illinois. It’s a topic State Agricultural Pest Survey Coordinator Kelly Estes is getting plenty of questions about.

Estes says Illinois does have a few “lookalikes” including the cicada killer wasp or European hornet.

The Asian hornet has received plenty of national media attention this past week, and the roughly two-inch insect has been known to kill up to 50 people a year in Japan, according to a New York Times report. And the “murder hornet” can also have a devastating impact on bee populations.