Vespa velutina

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Vespa velutina
V. v. nigrithorax, back and abdomen side

V. v. nigrithorax , back and abdomen side

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Hymenoptera (Hymenoptera)
Family : Wasps (Vespidae)
Subfamily : Real wasps (Vespinae)
Genre : Hornets ( Vespa )
Type : Vespa velutina
Scientific name
Vespa velutina
Lepeletier , 1836
V. v. nigrithorax in the Jardin des Plantes (Toulouse) , France
Nest of V. v. nigrithorax in France

Vespa velutina is a hornet species nativeto Southeast Asia . It was first detected in 2004 with the subspecies Vespa velutina nigrithorax in southwest France ( Département Lot-et-Garonne )and has since spread invasively in Europe .

In reports of problems for beekeeping , the species is often inaccurately called "Asian hornet", which can also mean the Asian giant hornet ( Vespa mandarinia ).

features

Vespa velutina is a diverse species in its natural habitat, which forms numerous different color morphs , which are mostly understood as subspecies. Only one of these forms, the subspecies nigrithorax , was introduced to Europe. Here it is quite easy to distinguish from other social wasps, primarily on the basis of color characteristics. This is already indicated by the subspecies epithet nigrithorax - literally translated “black breastplate” ( Latin niger , black , ancient Greek θώραξ , breastplate ' ).

The queens reach a body length of about 3 centimeters, workers are about 1.7 to 2.4 centimeters long. This makes the species somewhat smaller than the hornet ( Vespa crabro ) that is widespread in Europe and somewhat larger than the mean wasp ( Dolichovespula media ). As a hornet (genus Vespa ) it can be recognized by the shape of the head: when viewed from above , this is elongated in the rear part, the apex or vertex, the distance between the ocelles and the complex eyes is therefore smaller than their distance from the rear edge of the head.

Vespa velutina nigrithorax , the subspecies introduced into Europe, has a black basic color and fine, upright, black or brown hairs. The head is black when viewed from above. When viewed from the front, the clypeus , the lower half of the temples and the mandibles (except for the tip and teeth) are yellow to red-brown (in Asia (Hong Kong) there are also animals with a completely black head). The antennae are black on top and red-brown on the underside. The trunk section including the propodeum is almost completely black. The legs are also black, only the tarsi , and partly also the rails , are lightened yellow-brown to yellow. On the free abdomen, when viewed from above, the first three tergites are black with a fine yellow end band, which on the third may occasionally be somewhat widened. The fourth tergite is predominantly yellow in color, the others are brown.

Males are colored similarly to queens and workers (which are difficult to distinguish), another characteristic is: The rear edge of the seventh abdominal sternite is deeply cut out in a semicircle.

Occurrence

The original occurrence of Vespa velutina includes the south of China and the island of Taiwan , the east of India along the western edge of the Himalayas (marginally also to Pakistan and Afghanistan ), the rear Indian peninsula and the island world of Indonesia . The species was introduced to South Korea in 2003 and Japan ( Tsushima ) in 2014 . It lives mainly in the mountains, but in Indonesia it also reaches the tropical lowland rainforest .

According to model calculations (“climatic envelope” methodology) based on the distribution in Southeast Asia, the species can colonize large parts of southern and western Europe , including the southern Netherlands and southern and southwestern Germany , so that further spreading in Germany is highly likely.

After Europe the species was probably introduced by sea from China: The first known European Fund comes from 2005 from Nérac in southwest France, but maybe she was in 2004 Agen present. From there, it spread rapidly over southwest France. In August 2010 it reached the Rhone Valley in the east and the English Channel coast in the north in East Brittany ; at the same time it was first registered south of the Pyrenees in Spain in Amaiur, Navarre , from where it spread over large parts of northern Spain until 2015, especially the Basque Country and the Navarre region. In 2011 she reached the Portuguese Atlantic coast in Viana do Castelo . In 2012, the first animal in Italy was detected in Loano (Liguria) . The species has now colonized almost all of France with the exception of the northeast.

With the discovery of a nest in Büchelberg in Rhineland-Palatinate in 2014, the reproduction of the species has also been proven in Germany. In Baden-Württemberg , the species was also spotted in Waghäusel (North Baden) in 2014 and in Freiburg im Breisgau (South Baden) in 2016 ; nests were also found in Karlsruhe in 2017 . In October 2019, specimens were found in Lorsch in southern Hesse and in Mannheim . A find in Hamburg was announced for the first time in February 2020.

In 2016 Vespa velutina nigrithorax was included in the “List of undesirable species” for the European Union .

Way of life

With this species, as with many social wasps, new nests are established in spring by a single, mated young queen. The queen starts building the nest alone and is later supported by the newly hatched workers. The maximum nest size is reached in early autumn, after which the nest gradually dies towards winter, only the young queens overwinter (in Europe). In the phase of maximum population, the population switches to the production of sex animals. The species produces significantly more males than sexually mature females. Each young queen is usually mated by several males (polyandry). Mating probably takes place predominantly within the nest.

The colonies grow relatively large, with around 4,000 to 10,000, in France around 6,000 brood cells on average, which means a maximum of around 1,000 to 2,000 workers in the nest at the same time. In the expanded state, the nest consists of 6 to 12 horizontally arranged honeycombs made of a cardboard-like mass (made of chewed wood fibers). It is completely surrounded by a nest shell made of the same material. It is laid freely hanging, usually at heights of 10 meters and above, in tree tops or other high structures, and occasionally also on human structures. The species grows in or on houses far less often than other hornet species such as Vespa simillima . In France, poplars are preferred as nesting locations near water. However, nests within cavities, and occasionally even underground, are rare. In Europe the species lives mainly on the plains and in low hilly areas, often also in human settlements. Closed forests, however, are avoided.

In East Asia it is known that young queens start their nests close to the ground and that the whole colony moves to a new nest location later in the year after the establishment. Such a relocation (or branch formation ) of nests has not yet been observed in Europe, but it is believed to be possible.

Like most social wasps, Vespa velutina workers feed primarily on carbohydrate-rich food sources such as nectar, ripe fruit or tree sap, while the larvae are fed protein-rich foods. In principle, the species is an opportunistic hunter and scavenger who can use different prey animals and food sources depending on what is available. They are agile hunters in flight who can also catch good fliers such as dragonflies, they are able to fly short distances backwards. The species is best known as an effective predator for honeybees . Depending on the region, these can make up a third to two thirds of animal food. Hunting hornets often lurk in the vicinity of beehives in order to prey on arriving and departing bees, which are preferred to many others as a concentrated source of food. In contrast to its sister species Apis cerana , which lives naturally in the same region as Vespa velutina , Apis mellifera has similar defense mechanisms against the hornets, but these are far less effective with her.

Phylogeny and Taxonomy

Vespa velutina belongs to a clade of hornet species common in Asia, the Vespa bicolor species group. These differ from the other species of the genus in the following characteristics: The keel in front of the tegulae (wing scales) on the pronotum is incomplete, the pronotum keel (in front of the pronotum) is broadly interrupted in the middle by a pit; the puncture of the basal and central parts of the clypeus consists of small points separated from each other by more than their diameter. In the males, the front edge of the sternite of the sixth and seventh abdomen segment is cut out deeply in a semicircle. The types of the species complex are primarily differentiated according to their color characteristics. The bicolor species group was confirmed as monophyletic in genetic analyzes (based on the comparison of the DNA sequence of homologous genes) . The sister species of Vespa velutina could therefore be Vespa vivax .

Within the species Vespa velutina , thirteen subspecies are conventionally differentiated, which are differentiated exclusively according to the characteristics of the color. Most of them were described by the Dutchman Jacobus van der Vecht.

  • Vespa velutina velutina ( Java )
  • Vespa velutina variana ( Vietnam , Myanmar , Thailand )
  • Vespa velutina karnyi ( Sumatra )
  • Vespa velutina ardens ( Lombok and Sumbawa )
  • Vespa velutina floresiana ( Flores )
  • Vespa velutina celebensis ( Sulawesi )
  • Vespa velutina sumbana ( Sumba )
  • Vespa velutina timorensis ( Timor )
  • Vespa velutina flavitarsis ( Taiwan )
  • Vespa velutina nigrithorax (China and border region India / Myanmar)
  • Vespa velutina divergens ( Malay mainland)
  • Vespa velutina auraria (eastern slope of the Himalayas: India and Nepal, southern China, northern Vietnam)
  • Vespa velutina pruthii (Northeast India, Kashmir and Afghanistan)

The subspecies auraria and pruthii were identified by Michael E. Archer as a separate species Vespa auraria , this does not appear to be justified according to recent results. The subspecies occur predominantly in separate regions (or each on an island), in addition to parapatric distribution in neighboring but separate distribution areas, those distributed on the Asian mainland also occur sympatric (several next to each other in the same area), where they are also connected by transitional forms are. Many editors therefore prefer to speak of color morphs of a species instead of subspecies .

A comprehensive investigation of these local forms, in which, in addition to the color variants and their intermediate forms and transitions, the geographical distribution and genetic data were also included, showed that the genetic relationship correlates quite well with the geographical distribution pattern. The forms of the South Indonesian islands were most widely separated from those of the mainland, with populations from Sumatra and Malaysia as transitional forms. The staining patterns also correlated with the other data, but some similar color morphs from different regions turned out to be not closely related, possibly they developed the same color convergent to one another. Overall, the authors come to the conclusion that coloring features as a taxonomic character in the family group can only be used with caution. The conventionally delimited subspecies should therefore only be used with reservations.

Influence on people

The species is able to achieve considerable population densities in the regions it inhabits in a short time. In Korea, where it immigrated in 2003, it is now the most common hornet species. Its occurrence is particularly problematic for beekeepers because as a bee hunter it can severely weaken colonies. For this reason, beekeepers, especially in south-west France, have begun using specialized pest controllers to destroy nests. However, due to their location, this is very time-consuming. Various methods of combating the species are scientifically tested, including attracting sex animals using pheromones . However, it hardly seems promising to be able to exterminate the species in already densely populated regions. The use of biological control methods has not yet been attempted, due to the associated endangerment of the closely related European hornet, it is considered risky.

Contrary to individual observations in parts of the distribution area in East Asia (Malaysia), Vespa velutina is not considered to be an aggressive species in Europe towards humans. In Europe, no increase in stings was reported in the regions populated by the species. In general, the species is assessed as similar to the European Vespa crabro , which is not very problematic in this regard .

See also

Web links

Commons : Vespa velutina  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ for example in Axel Trautmann: Allergiediagnose Allergietherapie . Thieme Verlag, Würzburg 2006, p. 169.
  2. Jump up ↑ a b c Adrien Perrard, Mariangela Arca, Quentin Rome, Franck Muller, Jiangli Tan, Sanjaya Bista, Hari Nugroho, Raymond Baudoin, Michel Baylac, Jean-Francois Silvain, James M. Carpenter, Claire Villemant (2014): Geographic Variation of Melanization Patterns in a Hornet Species: Genetic Differences, Climatic Pressures or Aposematic Constraints? PLoS ONE 9 (4): e94162. doi : 10.1371 / journal.pone.0094162 .
  3. ↑ James M. Carpenter & Lien Phuong Thi Nguyen (2003): Keys to the genera of social wasps of South-East Asia (Hymenoptera: Vespidae). Entomological Science 6: 183-192.
  4. ↑ Christophe Barthelemy: A provisional identification key to the social vespids of Hong Kong. 2010. 132 pp.
  5. ↑ P. Girish Kumar & G. Srinivasan (2010): Taxonomic studies of Hornet Wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) Vespa Linnaeus of India, Records of the Zoological Survey of India: llO (Part 2): 57-80.
  6. ↑ Michael Archer (2015): An alternative key to the males of the Vespa species (Hymenoptera: Vespidae). Entomologist's Monthly Magazine 151: 57-62.
  7. ^ A b Moon Bo Choi, Stephen J. Martin, Jong Wook Lee (2012): Distribution, spread, and impact of the invasive hornet Vespa velutina in South Korea . In: Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology 15: 473-477.
  8. ↑ Takatoshi Ueno (2014): Establishment of the Invasive Hornet Vespa velutina (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in Japan . In: International Journal of Chemical, Environmental & Biological Sciences (IJCEBS) 2 (4): 220-222.
  9. ↑ Adolfo Ibáñez-Justicia & Antoon JM Loomans (2011): Mapping the potential occurrence of an invasive species by using CLIMEX: case of the Asian hornet (Vespa velutina nigrithorax) in The Netherlands . In: Proceedings of the Netherlands Entomological Society meeting 22: 39-46.
  10. ↑ J. Haxaire, J.-P. Bouguet, J.-Ph. Tamisier (2006): Vespa velutina Lepeletier, 1836, une redoutable nouveauté pour la faune de France (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) . In: Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France 111 (2): 194.
  11. ↑ a b c d Karine Monceau, Olivier Bonnard, Denis Thiéry (2014): Vespa velutina: a new invasive predator of honeybees in Europe . In: Journal of Pest Science 87: 1-16. doi : 10.1007 / s10340-013-0537-3 .
  12. ↑ A. Goldarazena, IP de Heredia, P. Romon, JC Iturrondobeitia, M. Gonzalez, S. Lopez (2015): Spread of the yellow-legged hornet Vespa velutina nigrithorax du Buysson (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) across Northern Spain . Bulletin OEPP (EPPO Bulletin) (2015) 45 (1): 1-6. doi : 10.1111 / epp.12185 .
  13. ↑ José Manuel Grosso-Silva & Miguel Maia (2012): Vespa velutina Lepeletier, 1836 (Hymenoptera, Vespidae), new species for Portugal . In: Arquivos Entomolóxicos 6: 53-54.
  14. ↑ Stefano Demichelis, Aulo Manino, Giovanni Minuto, Mauro Mariotti, Marco Porporato (2014): Social wasp trapping in north west Italy: comparison of different bait-traps and first detection of Vespa velutina . In: Bulletin of Insectology 67 (2): 307-317.
  15. ↑ inpn.mnhn.fr: Classements du frelon asiatique et mise à jour de sa distribution Inventaire national du patrimoine naturel (INPN), Muséum national d'histoire naturelle , 11 février 2013.
  16. ^ Rolf Witt (2015): First finding of a nest of the Asian hornet Vespa velutina Lepeletier, 1838 in Germany and details on nest building (Hymenoptera, Vespinae) . Ampulex 7: 42-53.
  17. ↑ Susanne Jock: Nests of Asian hornets discovered in Karlsruhe - invasive species spreads. In: Baden's latest news. November 14, 2017 : "In Germany, they were first detected in 2014 in Waghäusel, says Manfred Verhaagh, who heads the insect department at the Natural History Museum in Karlsruhe.";
  18. ↑ Andreas Braun: The Asian hornet was first sighted in Freiburg. In: Badische Zeitung. June 30, 2016 .;
  19. ↑ Susanne Jock: Nests of Asian hornets discovered in Karlsruhe - invasive species spreads. In: Baden's latest news. November 14, 2017 .;
  20. ↑ Danger to honey bees. In: Bergstrasse Anzeiger. 23 October 2019 . ;Asian hornet also spotted in Mannheim. Mannheimer Morgen, October 30, 2019 .
    ;
  21. ↑ Nadja Podbregar: Asian hornet reaches Hamburg . scinexx.de February 5, 2020.
  22. ↑ List of invasive alien species of Union-wide importance ( List of Invasive Alien Species of Concern Union ) (PDF) . Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  23. ↑ a b c Michael Archer (1996): Taxonomy, distribution and nesting biology of the Vespa bicolor group (Hym., Vespinae). Entomologist's Monthly Magazine 130: 149-158.
  24. ↑ a b Rolf Witt (2009): Will the Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) soon also be found in Germany? Second North German wasp adviser meeting 2009, proceedings: 8-15.
  25. ↑ Suzanna Persson (2015): Phylogeny and taxonomy of the subfamily Vespinae (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), based on five molecular markers. Degree project for Master of Science, University of Gothenburg.
  26. ↑ Adrien Perrard, Kurt M. Pickett, Claire Villemant, Jun-ichi Kojima, James Carpenter (2013): Phylogeny of hornets: a total evidence approach (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Vespinae, Vespa). Journal of Hymenoptera Research 32: 1-15. doi : 10.3897 / YEAR 32.4685 .
  27. ^ Lien TP Nguyen, Fuki Saito, Jun-ichi Kojima, James M. Carpenter (2006): Vespidae of Viet Nam (Insecta: Hymenoptera) 2. Taxonomic Notes on Vespinae. Zoological Science 23 (1): 95-104. doi : 10.2108 / zsj.23.95 .
  28. ^ SJ Martin (1995): Hornets (Hymenoptera: Vespinae) of Malaysia. Malayan Nature Journal 49: 71-82.