The large wasp species has a special structure in it's abdomen that traps the sun's rays, and a special pigment that harvests the energy they contain.
The discovery helps explain why these hornets have a large yellow stripe across their body and why they become more active as the day gets hotter.
It also changes our understanding of how insect metabolism can work. Wasps are usually most active in the early morning, when they are around twice as active as at any other point in the day.
Oriental hornets, which range from the Near East to India, are most active in the middle of the day.
Scientists have also long observed that Oriental hornet workers, which dig out nests underground, correlate their digging activity with the intensity of sunlight.
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