They're distinct from North America's wasps. While common U.S. insects such as yellowjackets and the bald-faced hornet are sometimes called hornets, they're not in the same genus as the Asian hornets.

First, I have always referred to them as white-faced hornets, however most resources I discovered refer to them as bald-faced hornets (Dolichovespula maculata). Apparently, along with white-faced, ...