Search Results (31)

Hymenopteran venoms contain diverse proteins and peptides that shape envenomation, defense, predation, and allergic responses. Honeybee venom from Apis mellifera is well characterized, while molecular resources for the Asian giant hornet Vespa mandarinia remain less curated. We compared protein- and peptide-fraction LC-MS/MS identification datasets from V. mandarinia venom (VM-V) and A. mellifera venom (AM-V), supported by a de novo V. mandarinia transcriptome-derived database. Protein-level identification yielded 197 protein groups in VM-V PRO and 164 protein groups in AM-V PRO. AM-V contained well-recognized honeybee venom components, including phospholipase A2, hyaluronidase, venom acid phosphatase, venom dipeptidyl peptidase 4, melittin precursor, mast cell degranulating peptide precursor, secapin, and allergen Api m 6. VM-V PRO contained transcriptome-supported candidate venom-associated proteins, including venom dipeptidyl peptidase 4-like, hyaluronidase-like, venom allergen 5-like, serine protease-like, apolipophorin-like, and hexamerin-like entries. Peptide-fraction annotation was strongest in AM-V PEP, led by melittin precursor, whereas VM-V PEP remained largely unannotated. The study focuses on identification, annotation, and hypothesis-generating functional summaries, not replicate-level differential abundance. GO, KEGG, and STRING analyses organized functional annotation patterns and prioritized candidate protein groups. These data provide an identification-based comparative venomomics resource for VM-V and AM-V and a foundation for targeted validation of candidate V. mandarinia venom-associated components. Full article

The venom of the Asian hornet (Vespa affinis) comprises a complex mixture of biologically active substances, including various enzymes such as phospholipase A and hyaluronidase; amines such as histamine, serotonin, and catecholamines; peptides such as mastoparan and vespakinin; and other components including acetylcholine and antigen 5. This complexity reflects the highly evolved nature of V. affinis as a venomous insect. The composition of animal venoms often exhibits a certain degree of variability, making the study of biogenic amines particularly intriguing. The objective of this research was to confirm and identify the presence of tetradecylamine in the venom of Vespa affinis using the scientific computational analysis software MetFrag. In addition, the study aimed to construct the biosynthetic pathway of this compound and to predict its potential biological roles. The predicted biosynthetic route of tetradecylamine suggested its possible involvement in antibacterial activity. Antibacterial assays were performed against four bacterial strains Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The results revealed that tetradecylamine exhibited notable inhibitory effects, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 2, 4, 8, and 4 µg/mL, and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values of 2, 4, 8, and 4 µg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, molecular docking studies were conducted using penicillin-binding protein 2x (PBP2x, PDB ID: 5OIZ) as the target protein. Among eight tested ligands, streptomycin exhibited the highest binding affinity with a docking score of 64.76. In contrast, biogenic amines such as 2-phenylethylamine and tetradecylamine showed docking scores of 33.74 and 48.2, respectively. In the MurA protein (PDB ID: 3VCY), the biogenic amine ligand tetradecylamine exhibited a binding affinity comparable to that of certain reference drugs. Specifically, tetradecylamine achieved a GOLD score of 52.58, whereas ampicillin showed a higher score of 61.53. Notably, tetradecylamine demonstrated a higher binding affinity to the target protein compared with certain conventional antibiotics such as doxycycline and gentamycin. Full article

The invasive hornet Vespa velutina nigrithorax was first recorded in Spain in 2010 and in Italy in 2012. Control strategies to reduce V. v. nigrithorax infestation level in apiaries include nest neutralization and trapping of adult hornets. Trapping methods are simpler, more cost-effective, and can be implemented directly by beekeepers without the use of insecticides; however, they are usually poorly effective or selective. While assessing trap effectiveness is essential for reducing V. v. nigrithorax pressure on hives, evaluating trap selectivity is equally crucial to minimize the capture of non-target insects, such as honey bees and native hornets like Vespa crabro, which exist in a delicate balance with the honey bees. During autumn 2024, five combinations of commercially available mechanical traps, tested with both a homemade and a commercial bait, were evaluated in Spain and Italy to determine the most effective and selective option against V. v. nigrithorax. The mean daily capture rate was significantly lower in Italy (0.19 ± 0.07) than in Spain (1.82 ± 0.39). Significant differences were observed among the five trap–bait combinations (p < 0.0001), with the VelutinaTrap^® (BeeVital GmbH, Vienna, Austria) associated with a homemade bait (sugar, yeast, and water) being the most effective. When trap design was considered independently of bait, VelutinaTrap^® remained the most effective option (p < 0.0001). In contrast, no significant differences were detected between bait types when analyzed irrespective of trap design (p = 0.524). Concerning selectivity, even though all tested traps showed positive results against A. mellifera, the combination VelutinaTrap^® associated with the homemade bait significantly outperformed in V. crabro selectivity. Further research is needed to develop more effective traps for capturing V. v. nigrithorax and to investigate environmental factors that influence variations in the attractiveness of the same trap and bait combinations across different seasons and geographical areas. Full article

The growing interest in Vespa velutina venom stems primarily from its impact on human health due to stings and its potential pharmacological applications. Traditionally, venom extraction methods have relied on capturing individual hornets or removing and euthanizing entire nests, followed by dissection of venom sacs—a labor-intensive and disruptive process. In this work, we present a novel, non-invasive approach to venom harvesting. Using a portable electrostimulation device, venom was extracted directly from active Vespa velutina nests in their natural habitat. This method eliminates the need for nest manipulation, significantly reducing disturbance and improving efficiency. These visuals highlight the practicality and potential of this groundbreaking technique, opening new avenues for sustainable and scalable venom collection. Full article

The Asian hornet, Vespa velutina, is an invasive species that has not only expanded its range in Asia but has also invaded European countries, and it incurs significant costs on local apiculture. This phylogeographic study aims to trace the evolutionary trajectory of V. velutina and its close relatives; it aims to identify features that characterize an invasive species. The last successful invasion of Vespa velutina into France occurred in late May, 2002, and into South Korea in early October, 2002, which were estimated by fitting a logistic equation to the number of observations over time. The instantaneous rate of increase is 1.3667 for V. velutina in France and 0.2812 in South Korea, which are consistent with the interpretation of little competition in France and strong competition from local hornet species in South Korea. The invasive potential of two sister lineages can be compared by their distribution area when proper statistical adjustments are made to account for differences in sample size. V. velutina has a greater invasive potential than its sister lineage. The ancestor of V. velutina split into two lineages, one found in Indonesia/Malaysia and the other colonizing the Asian continent. The second lineage split into a sedentary clade inhabiting Pakistan and India and an invasive lineage colonizing much of Southeast Asia. This latter lineage gave rise to the subspecies V. v. nigrithorax, which invaded France, South Korea, and Japan. My software PGT version 1.5, which generates geophylogenies and computes geographic areas for individual taxa, is useful for understanding biogeography in general and invasive species in particular. I discussed the conceptual formulation of an index of invasiveness for a comparison between sister lineages. Full article

Trapping the Asian hornet remains a viable alternative to monitor its presence, dispersion, and ecological niche. With the objective of evaluating the effectiveness of baits and traps, an Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) capture trial was conducted using combinations of artisanal and commercial baits and traps. The second objective was to explore the relationship between the species’ dispersal patterns and the influence of human, geography, climate, and vegetation factors, to identify the preferred conditions for its colonization. We identified beekeepers in the Alto Minho region of Northern Portugal, where the different combinations of baits and traps were placed. The traps were monitored from February to September 2023, and the captures were counted. The temporal variation of the captures showed a first peak at the beginning of April, corresponding to primary workers. In September, when the trial was halted, the second peak, corresponding to secondary workers, had not yet been reached. The peaks of captures were used to fit models to allow the characterisation of their ecological niche. Statistical analysis of the captures revealed no significant differences. It was concluded that there is no advantage in using the commercial devices and baits tested. The ecological niche where the higher number of captures is observed is characterised by an abundance of vegetation, humidity, and higher temperatures. Elevation and slope also favour the presence of the Asian hornet. Full article

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

The Asian giant hornet, Vespa mandarinia, is an invasive species that could potentially destroy the local honeybee industry in North America. It has been observed to nest in the coastal regions of British Columbia in Canada and Washington State in the USA. What is the source population of the immigrant hornets? The identification of the source population can shed light not only on the route of immigration but also on the similarity between the native habitat and the potential new habitat in the Pacific Northwest. We analyzed mitochondrial COX1 sequences of specimens sampled from multiple populations in China, the Republic of Korea, Japan, and the Russian Far East. V. mandarinia exhibits phylogeographic patterns, forming monophyletic clades for 16 specimens from China, six specimens from the Republic of Korea, and two specimens from Japan. The two mitochondrial COX1 sequences from Nanaimo, British Columbia, are identical to the two sequences from Japan. The COX1 sequence from Blaine, Washington State, clustered with those from the Republic of Korea and is identical to one sequence from the Republic of Korea. Our geophylogeny, which allows visualization of genetic variation over time and space, provides evolutionary insights on the evolution and speciation of three closely related vespine species (V. tropica, V. soror, and V. mandarinia), with the speciation events associated with the expansion of the distribution to the north. Full article

The invasive hornet Vespa velutina affects apiculture, biodiversity, and human health. The use of baited traps with the aim of reducing the population and mitigating its impacts is a common practice. However, the lack of impact on the number of colonies and the high capture rate of non-target insects make it controversial. Our objective was to compare the effectiveness and selectiveness of four trap models. We measured effectiveness as the capture rate of V. velutina per day per trap, and selectiveness as the capture rate of V. velutina/capture rate of non-target species. The E trap had better performance with a higher selectiveness and effectiveness. Traps V and X had a higher effectiveness but the lowest selectiveness, with high capture rates of native insects, including threatened species. The R trap had the lowest effectiveness and selectiveness. Results show that small changes in the design can contribute to achieving more sustainable tools. Otherwise, with the current tools, bait trapping continues to be non-sustainable from an environmental perspective due to the impacts on native biodiversity. Full article

[Objective] This study’s objective was to investigate the diversity of intestinal microorganisms in adult Vespa velutina (Asian hornet) killed by natural causes. This study investigates the composition of intestinal fungi and bacteria and predicts the pathogenic pathogen in adult Vespa velutina (Asian hornet). [Methods] We determined the ITS1 sequence of fungi and the V3–V4 variant region of 16S rRNA of bacteria using Illumina MiSeq technology. Operational taxonomic units (OTU) of gut symbiotic microorganisms were quantified, and the resulting data were subjected to analysis of species abundance, composition, and alpha diversity. OTU function was predicted using PICRUSt2/FUNGuild. In addition, cultured microorganisms from the gut microbiota of adult Vespa velutina were isolated and identified. A number of 3610 (fungi) and 8373 (bacteria) were identified via cluster analysis. A total of 13 strains, 51 classes, 126 orders, 285 families, and 586 genera were identified for fungi and 44 strains, 113 classes, 319 orders, 662 families, and 1394 genera were identified for bacteria. E. shigella, Herbaspirillum, and Aaaia were the most abundant classes of bacteria, and Fusarium, Mortierella, and Starmerella were the most abundant classes of fungi. In addition, 16 community genera of fungi and 11 of bacteria were outlined as core taxa. Species diversity and richness for the gut fungal and bacterial communities with VN were found to be higher than those with VA. Furthermore, bacterial species diversity and richness were found to be higher than those of fungi in VA and VN. Functional analysis revealed that Vespa velutina gut bacteria exhibited 20 functions, while fungi were classified into three types of nutrient modes. Cultivable bacteria were obtained from two phyla and two classes, but no fungi could be cultivated. [Conclusion] Variations in the species diversity and abundance of both fungi and bacteria in the gut were observed between the VA and the VN. The involvement of bacteria in the death of adult Vespa velutina was found to be significant. In addition, VA1 (the self-named strain) may be a pathogenic bacterium derived from the gut of the VA that exhibits virulence. Full article

(1) Background: Dipeptidyl Peptidases IV (DPPIVs), present in many organisms, are minor components in the venoms of Hymenoptera, where they have been identified as cross-reactive allergenic molecules. Considering that the structure of homologous DPPIVs is well characterized, we aimed to explain which regions have higher similarity among these proteins and present a comparison among them, including a new Vespa velutina DPPIV sequence. Moreover, two cases of sensitization to DPPIVs in wasp- and honeybee-sensitized patients are presented. (2) Methods: Proteomic analyses have been performed on the venom of the Asian hornet Vespa velutina to demonstrate the sequence of its DPPIV (allergen named Vesp v 3, with sequence accession number P0DRB8, and with the proteomic data available via ProteomeXchange with the identifier PXD046030). A comparison performed through their alignments and analysis of the three-dimensional structure showed a region with higher similarity among Hymenoptera DPPIVs. Additionally, ImmunoCAP™ determinations (including specific inhibition experiments), as well as IgE immunoblotting, are performed to demonstrate the allergenicity of Api m 5 and Ves v 3. (3) Results and Conclusions: The data presented demonstrate that the similarities among Hymenoptera DPPIVs are most likely localized at the C-terminal region of these enzymes. In addition, a higher similarity of the Vespa/Vespula DPPIVs is shown. The clinical cases analyzed demonstrated the allergenicity of Api m 5 and Ves v 3 in the sera of the allergic patients, as well as the presence of this minor component in the preparations used in venom immunotherapy. Full article

This study investigates the internal architecture of Asian hornet nests (AHNs) using advanced imaging techniques, such as CT scanning and X-ray radiography, to understand their construction and function. The primary objective and significance of this study centre on drawing inspiration from the creative way Asian hornets construct their nests, with a particular focus on the architecture, design, functionality, and building materials of these nests. The architectural principles governing the construction of these nests, such as the arrangement of hexagonal cells, pedicels for load bearing, and adhesive materials, serve as a source of inspiration for innovative and sustainable design practices. The pedicels in Asian hornet nests play a crucial role in transferring load and ensuring stability. Additionally, AHNs’ adhesion to tree branches is essential for preventing collapse, and the pedicels provide necessary structural support. The knowledge gained from studying AHNs’ internal architecture could be applied directly to the architecture and civil engineering fields to improve structure stability and durability. The microstructure analysis of the paper-like material that hornets produce to build their nests indicates a complex and heterogeneous structure, composed of various plant fragments and fibres. This unique composition creates intricate grooves and pores, which are essential for regulating temperature and humidity levels within the outer envelope of the nest. The study of Asian hornet nests’ internal structure demonstrated that nature’s engineering principles inspire the design of durable and resilient structures in the construction industry. Civil engineers can incorporate similar principles into their designs to enhance the structural integrity and performance of buildings, bridges, and other infrastructure. Full article

Honeybees pollinate over 75% of the total food resources produced annually, and they produce valuable hive products, such as bee pollen, propolis, and royal jelly. However, species such as the Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) feed on more than 85% of honeybees, causing a decline in their population and considerable damage to beekeepers in Korea. To prevent damage to honeybees, a portable real-time monitoring system was developed that detects V. velutina individuals and notifies users of their presence. This system was designed with a focus on portability and ease of installation, as V. velutina can be found in various areas of apiary sites. To detect V. velutina, an improved convolutional neural network YOLOv5s was trained on 1960 high-resolution ($3840\times 2160$) image data. At the confidence threshold of ≥0.600 and intersection over the union of ≥0.500, the performance of the system in terms of detection accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score, and mean average precision was high. A distance-based performance comparison showed that the system was able to detect V. velutina individuals while monitoring three beehives. During a field test of monitoring three beehives, the system could detect 83.3% of V. velutina during their hunting activities and send alarms to registered mobile application users. Full article

Vespa velutina nigrithorax, a species of hornet, is spreading globally, with increasingly negative effects on human health. To effectively eliminate V. velutina, its nest should be destroyed and its queen removed; however, the nests are difficult to reach. Thus, we analyzed the requirements for a drone-assisted hornet exterminator using field observations and physical tests on a sample hornets’ nest, and based on these, a UAV exterminator equipped with a nest-perforating device (based on an airsoft rifle) and pesticide-spraying system was designed and manufactured. Pesticides and bullets were manufactured using ecofriendly materials. An actuator at the rear of the device adjusted the pitch of the perforator and sprayer, and a monitoring system was installed to aid the operator in targeting. The operating parameters of the UAV exterminator were evaluated in laboratory tests, with a spray distance of 5 m deemed suitable. To evaluate the system’s pest-control performance, several V. velutina nests were targeted in field tests. An insecticidal effect of over 99% was achieved using two pyrethrum-based pesticides (15% pyrethrum extract and 10% pyrethrum extract with additives). In addition, compared to conventional nest-removal methods, the UAV exterminator reduced the work time by 85% and the cost by 54.9%. Full article

The parasitism of two groups of host-manipulating parasites of hornets was examined in Kyoto, Japan. Vespa mandarinia (661 individuals), V. simillima (303), V. analis (457), V. ducalis (158), V. crabro (57), and V. dybowskii (4) were collected either by bait trap or hand collection with an insect net, and examined for their parasites. An endoparasitic nematode, Sphaerularia vespae was isolated from three overwintered gynes of V. mandarinia and a gyne of V. ducalis. While endoparasitic insects, Xenos spp., were recovered from 13 V. mandarinia, 77 V. analis, two V. ducalis, and three V. crabro, and those recovered from V. analis and others were molecularly identified as X. oxyodontes and X. moutoni, respectively. Comparing Xenos parasitism level and capturing methods, the parasitism level was significantly higher in trapped hosts than in hand-collected ones, suggesting that stylopized hosts are more strongly attracted to the food source (bait trap) compared with unparasitized hosts. The genotypes of S. vespae were identical to each other, and near identical to its type population. While each of the two Xenos spp. showed four mitochondrial DNA haplotypes. A phylogenetic comparison suggested that Xenos haplotypes found in the present study are close to those previously reported from Japan and other Asian countries. Full article