GO BIOVESP: “Integrated biological control of Vespa velutina: multidisciplinary approaches and innovative measures”

V. velutina is an invasive species that spreads uncontrollably throughout the territory as it lacks natural predators. The presence of V. velutina causes problems in different areas:

• Socioeconomic: The Asian hornet feeds on insects, including bees, to meet the protein needs of its larvae. Adult insects feed on different sugary liquids such as nectar from flowers and shrubs, ripe fruits, sugary excretions from aphids and sap from tree bark. V. velutina hunts bees, catching them in flight or hunting those found at the entrance. Predation in hives induces stress, affecting the health of bees; the persistence of attacks paralyzes the collection of nectar and pollen, reducing the survival of bee colonies, significantly affecting the beekeeping sector. In the agricultural sector, they have an impact on pollination (bee predation causes changes in the frequency of flower visits and in the behaviour of pollinators, affecting pollination services) and on products (many fruits are bitten and eaten by wasps, particularly in fruit trees near nests). As the Asian hornet population expands, more means and resources are needed to try to minimise the damage caused by this species, which means a significant increase in the annual costs allocated to these actions. Beekeepers, farmers and administrations make significant investments of time and resources to minimise these impacts.
• Biodiversity: Asian hornets feed on many pollinating insects, which has a direct impact on pollination and an indirect impact on plants. Native species are affected by invasions through other processes such as the transmission of pathogens, genetic contamination by hybridization, or by competition for sometimes scarce resources (in the case of nectar, its consumption by an abundant population of invasive nectarivores promotes the displacement of native species, by competition that promotes the expansion of other invasive species and changes at the ecosystem level).
• Public health: The increase in the number of nests increases the risk of possible stings that can have serious consequences and cause health problems. Controlling the Asian hornet population is essential and necessary to try to control the uncontrolled expansion of the species and minimize the harmful and serious effects it causes.