Biodiversity Foundation Project: Quantifying the impact of the presence of the Vespa velutina on the biodiversity of pollinating insects (Pollinating Biodiversity)
- Type Project
- Execution 2020
- Scope Europeo
- Main source of financing Fundación Biodiversidad
- Project website Web proyecto (Fundación Biodiversidad)
The Pollinator Biodiversity project has contributed to the study of the effects on biodiversity caused by the presence of the Asian hornet (Vespa vetulina).
Four areas of Galicia and eight nests of this species have been selected to study their behavior.
It is noteworthy that Vespa vetulina is capable of significantly disrupting the ecosystems in which it is found by competing for resources and food from other species and altering the behavior of pollinating insects.
Their impact is both socioeconomic, due to their impact on the beekeeping and fruit-growing sectors, and environmental, as they alter food chains and reduce entomological biodiversity.
The initiative also highlights the efforts made to disseminate this issue and transfer knowledge to the relevant public authorities.
Study of the art and selection of study areas and hives. Monitoring and control of the study hives. Capture of Vespa velutina specimens and study of their predation spectrum. Data analysis and final results. Dissemination and communication of the project.
According to ASEFOGA, the accidental arrival of the Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) has become a threat to pollinating entomofauna, since the diet of this species' offspring is based on the local insect fauna, making it a strong predator that threatens pollinating biodiversity.
The pollinating action of insects is essential for global food production and a key ecosystem service. Therefore, conserving wild insect populations must be a priority, and to contribute to conservation, it is necessary to understand the threats that affect their development.
For this reason, the organization points out that it is urgent to better characterize the diet of the Vespa velutina and to determine the extent to which its attacks affect arthropod biodiversity. This will allow us to understand its behavioral patterns and more effectively control this invasive species.
The main objective of the project was to quantify the impact on pollinating entomofauna due to the presence of the Vespa velutina. The specific objectives are: To obtain existing information related to the study area. To qualitatively and quantitatively assess the biodiversity of the affected pollinating entomofauna. To assess the potential consequences of the disappearance of pollinating entomofauna on plant biodiversity. To study the ethology or behavior of the invasive species Vespa velutina. To identify potential natural enemies of the invasive species Vespa velutina.
The Pollinator Biodiversity project has contributed to the study of the effects on biodiversity caused by the Asian hornet, Vespa vetulina, a species that has been included in the "Spanish Catalogue of Invasive Alien Species", in the "Strategy for the management, control and possible eradication of the Asian hornet or black wasp (Vespa velutina ssp. nigrithorax) in Spain", and in the "Monitoring and control protocol against the Asian hornet (Vespa velutina)" approved by the Ministry of Rural Environment of the Xunta de Galicia. The Vespa vetulina is considered a highly aggressive invasive alien species. The climate and access to different resources have favored its expansion and establishment in the north and west of the Iberian Peninsula.
The project has studied the invasive behavior of this species, monitoring eight nests in four areas of Galicia and observing the damage it can cause both to the ecosystem where it lives and to the honey bee (Apis mellifera) hives near its nests. The areas studied were those near: Cervo, Lugo (Galicia); Sanxenxo, Pontevedra (Galicia); As Neves and A Cañiza, Pontevedra (Galicia); and Lobeira, Ourense (Galicia).
In conclusion, the project highlights that Vespa vetulina is capable of significantly disrupting the ecosystems in which it is found, as it competes for resources and food with other animal species and alters the behavior of pollinating insects, which are subjected to constant stress from the pressure exerted by the predator.
The impacts caused by the Asian hornet are, on the one hand, socioeconomic due to its impact on the beekeeping and fruit-growing sectors, and, on the other, environmental, because they alter food chains, reduce entomological biodiversity, alter the behavior of pollinating species such as the honeybee (Apis mellifera), and compete for resources with native hornets, such as the European hornet (Vespa cabro), and for food with other species of birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Furthermore, the presence of nests of this invasive species in areas close to human populations can pose a serious public health problem.
The project also highlights the organization's outreach efforts to raise awareness about the problem of invasive species, carrying out intensive knowledge transfer efforts by delivering documentation and awareness-raising materials to numerous public administrations responsible for biodiversity.
- Asociación Sectorial Forestal Galega (ASEFOGA)
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