Abstract
Over the last 30 years, harmonic radars have been effective only in tracking insects flying at low altitude and over flat terrain. We developed an innovative harmonic radar, implementing the most advanced radar techniques, which covers a large field of view in elevation (with an angular aperture of about 24°) and can track insects up to a range of 500 m. We show all the components of this new harmonic radar and its first application, the tracking of Vespa velutina (yellow-legged Asian hornet). This is an invasive species which, although indigenous to South-East Asia, is spreading quickly to other regions of the world. Because of its fast diffusion and the serious threat it poses to both honeybee colonies and to humans, control measures are mandatory. When equipped with a small passive transponder, this radar system can track the flight trajectory of insects and locate nests to be destroyed. This tool has potential not only for monitoring V. velutina but also for tracking other larger insects and small size vertebrates.
Highlights
The yellow-legged hornet (V. velutina) is a social insect native to tropical and subtropical areas of South East Asia[20,21,22]
Our innovative harmonic radar can locate nests so they can quickly be destroyed and such a prompt response could eventually halt the spread of hornets as mandated by EU regulations on invasive alien species
A new innovative harmonic radar has been developed and tested; this prototype is capable of tracking the flight trajectory of insects, equipped with a small and lightweight passive transponder, in a hilly and woody environment
Summary
The yellow-legged hornet (V. velutina) is a social insect native to tropical and subtropical areas of South East Asia[20,21,22]. Forecast models based on climatic data show that many other countries of the world are at risk of invasion from the V. velutina[32,33] This hornet, which is a top predator among arthropods, is harmful because it preys upon honeybees and other native pollinating insects and can lead to the destruction of honeybee colonies[34,35,36,37]. The yellow-legged hornet can spread over large areas and causes so much damage[37,38,39,40] that it has recently been included in the European invasive alien species list (EU Reg. 1141/2016, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/ EN/TXT/?qid=1545227896749&uri=CELEX: 32016R1141). There is no accurate feedback about the distance of the hornet and tracking relies on the operator directly following the animal being tracked, which may not be simple in complex terrain
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