Ecology and Management of Invasive Vespidae

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Diversity".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2025 | Viewed by 7862

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Independent Researcher, Lanzo Torinese, 10074 Turin, Italy
Interests: invasive species; hornets; Vespidae; ecological modelling; species distribution models; impacts; management; surveillance; citizen science

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Diversity Journal is launching a Special Issue dedicated to the “Ecology and Management of Invasive Vespidae”. In the last century, an increasing number of new Vespidae introductions were recorded worldwide, and in some cases these introductions originated invasive populations. Examples of successful invasions are represented by the case of Vespa velutina in Europe or the multiple worldwide introductions of Vespula germanica and Vespula vulgaris. In Spain, within the past twelve years, four non-native Vespidae species have been detected: the yellow-legged Asian hornet (Vespa velutina), the black shield hornet (Vespa bicolor), the American paper wasp (Polistes major) and the Oriental hornet (Vespa orientalis). These invasions can generate massive environmental and socio-economic impacts. When dealing with complicated challenges such as the consequences caused by not-native species of Vespidae, it is necessary to produce, assemble and interpret information and knowledge using diverse sources and in an interdisciplinary way. As part of the One Health philosophy, people and animals, as well as the environment that they share, are closely connected. To prevent Vespidae introductions or mitigate their impacts, surveillance and management practices are required. Therefore, the aim of this Special Issue is to promote research on these topics. We welcome manuscripts on topics including but not limited to:

  • Environmental impacts generated by invasive Vespidae (e.g., impacts on native pollinators and on pollination ecosystem services, competition with native species);
  • One Health and invasive Vespidae;
  • Socio-economic impacts (e.g., issues in human health or activities, costs for the implementation of surveillance/management strategies);
  • Risk assessments or ecological models to forecast future impacts or distributions of invasive Vespidae;
  • Surveillance strategies for monitoring the distribution or supporting the early detection of new introductions, including citizen science approaches;
  • Management strategies (e.g., eradication, control) for preventing and mitigating the impacts of invasive Vespidae.

Dr. Simone Lioy
Dr. Xesús Feás
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • invasive Vespidae
  • impacts
  • surveillance
  • eradication
  • control

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 6128 KiB  
Article
Identifying Morphs of the Yellow-Legged Hornet (Vespa velutina) and Other Pests of Quarantine Importance with Geometric Morphometrics
by Allan Smith-Pardo, P. David Polly and Todd Gilligan
Diversity 2024, 16(7), 367; https://doi.org/10.3390/d16070367 - 26 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1347
Abstract
We assess the accuracy of geometric morphometrics (GMM) for determining the origin of insects of quarantine importance using the Asian hornet (Vespa velutina Lep.1836) as a case study. This species is highly variable, has an extensive natural distribution, and has been transported [...] Read more.
We assess the accuracy of geometric morphometrics (GMM) for determining the origin of insects of quarantine importance using the Asian hornet (Vespa velutina Lep.1836) as a case study. This species is highly variable, has an extensive natural distribution, and has been transported to many regions of the world. Forewing landmarks were applied to a large sample of regionally specific color morphs (previously considered “subspecies”) from across the species’ native Asian range. We reconfirm that GMM can statistically distinguish geographic variants independent of the color patterns that have heretofore been used for provenance, but which have been suspected of being unreliable. Almost all morphs in our analyses were statistically different except the centrally located V. v. variana, whose range lies between the continental V. v. auraria Smith, 1852, and V. v. nigrithorax du Buysson, 1905 morphs, and the Malaysian and Indonesian morphs. Even with moderate-sized training samples, discriminant function analysis (DFA) was able to classify geographic morphos with about 90% accuracy (ranging from 60% to 100%). We apply these results to determine the origin of a dead wasp recently intercepted in a mail parcel in Utah. Both DFA and continuous-trait maximum-likelihood clustering suggest that the Utah specimen belongs to the nigrithorax morph, which is native to southern China but now invasive in Europe, Japan, and Korea. These results are also supported by DNA barcode analysis, which groups the Utah individual with nigrithorax populations in South Korea and Japan. The relationship between variation in wing shape and genetic differentiation deserves further study, but molecular data are consistent with the GMM results suggesting that morphometric comparisons may be able to identify and provenance intercepted specimens quickly and inexpensively when molecular sequences and taxonomic specialists are unavailable. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology and Management of Invasive Vespidae)
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13 pages, 5563 KiB  
Article
Host Range Expansion of Nest-Parasitic Moths Pyralis regalis and Hypsopygia mauritialis in Social Wasp Nests: New Findings and Implications for Biological Control
by Young-Min Shin, Heung Sik Lee, Il-Kwon Kim, Chang-Jun Kim and Moon Bo Choi
Diversity 2023, 15(6), 789; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15060789 - 19 Jun 2023
Viewed by 2298
Abstract
Parasitic moths are common in social wasp (Hymenoptera) nests, attacking many species of Polistinae and a few species of Vespinae. In the Republic of Korea, two moth species are known to parasitize the brood of Polistes rothneyi koreanus: Pyralis regalis (Pyralidae) and [...] Read more.
Parasitic moths are common in social wasp (Hymenoptera) nests, attacking many species of Polistinae and a few species of Vespinae. In the Republic of Korea, two moth species are known to parasitize the brood of Polistes rothneyi koreanus: Pyralis regalis (Pyralidae) and Anatrachyntis japonica (Cosmopterigidae). Although previously reported elsewhere, a novel case of parasitization was recently documented in the Republic of Korea, in which Hypsopygia mauritialis (Pyralidae) was identified in the nests of social wasps. Pyralis regalis is the most common parasitic moth in the Republic of Korea, feeding on the nests of 11 species of social wasps, mostly the Korean Vespa species. To that list of hosts, we add a species of Dolichovespula and two species of Polistes. Parasitism of Vespa velutina nigrithorax, an invasive alien hornet, by both P. regalis and H. mauritialis, was observed for the first time. However, their potential to control invasive alien hornets is expected to be low. This study provides new insights into the diversity of nest-parasitic moths in social wasp nests and their hosts in the Republic of Korea, and highlights the potential for these moths to impact pest populations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology and Management of Invasive Vespidae)
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13 pages, 4703 KiB  
Article
Climatic Niche Differentiation between the Invasive Hornet Vespa velutina nigrithorax and Two Native Hornets in Europe, Vespa crabro and Vespa orientalis
by Simone Lioy, Luca Carisio, Aulo Manino and Marco Porporato
Diversity 2023, 15(4), 495; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15040495 - 28 Mar 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3126
Abstract
The introduction and expansion of the Asian yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina nigrithorax) in Europe poses concern for multiple reasons, including biodiversity conservation. In addition to the predation of native insects (e.g., bees and wasps), this species may compete with native hornets [...] Read more.
The introduction and expansion of the Asian yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina nigrithorax) in Europe poses concern for multiple reasons, including biodiversity conservation. In addition to the predation of native insects (e.g., bees and wasps), this species may compete with native hornets due to an overlap of their climatic and trophic niches. The aim of this study is to investigate the realised climatic niche of V. v. nigrithorax and its response to climatic conditions and to evaluate the degree of overlap with the niches of the two native Vespa species present in Europe, Vespa crabro and Vespa orientalis. The niches of both native species partially overlap with the niche of the invasive species (Schoener’s D, 0.43 for V. crabro and 0.28 for V. orientalis), although some differences can be detected. V. crabro appears to be more adapted to cold and dry conditions than the invasive species, and V. orientalis is more adapted to arid climates. These differences may provide a competitive advantage to both native species in areas with a lower environmental suitability for V. v. nigrithorax, in the probable event that this species continues to spread, reaching all areas predicted to be suitable in Europe and in the Mediterranean basin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology and Management of Invasive Vespidae)
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