Asian Hornet, Vespa velutina Lepeletier 1836 (Hym.: Vespidae), Venom Obtention Based on an Electric Stimulation Protocol.

Xesús Feás,Carmen Vidal,Julio A Seijas,M Pilar Vázquez-Tato

doi:10.3390/molecules27010138

Abstract

The yellow-legged Asian hornet (Vespa velutina Lepeletier 1836 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)) is naturally distributed in China, Southeast Asia, and India; however, recently it has been detected outside of its native area, confirmed as being established in South Korea, Europe, and Japan. Health risks and deaths caused by the invasive Vespa velutina stings have become a public health concern, being the most common cause of anaphylaxis due to hymenopterans in some European regions. This in turn has led to increased demand from medical practitioners and researchers for Vespa velutina venom for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. In this study, a straightforward, quick, and inexpensive method for obtaining Vespa velutina venom by electric stimulation is described. The venom extracts were analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-NMR). The availability of Vespa velutina venom will lead to improved diagnostic and therapeutic methods, mainly by venom immunotherapy (VIT), in patients allergic to this invasive species.

Highlights

Invasive alien species (IAS) are plants, animals, pathogens, and other organisms that are introduced and/or spread outside of their natural geographic range and which may cause severe ecological, economic, and social impacts on the invaded environments
Several IAS insect species have migrated in the last decade to Galicia, located on the north-western end of the Iberian Peninsula, and successfully colonized and spread, resulting in a broad range of consequences to recipient ecosystems and, thereby, human society [5]
Abundance, and wider distribution, the risk that the IAS Vespa velutina represents for human health is incomparable with other native species of hymenoptera [12,13]. In invaded areas such as Spain and South Korea, there is an increase in the number and severity of reactions in patients exposed to invasive species Vespa velutina venom

Summary

Introduction

Invasive alien species (IAS) are plants, animals, pathogens, and other organisms that are introduced and/or spread outside of their natural geographic range and which may cause severe ecological, economic, and social impacts on the invaded environments. Several IAS insect species have migrated in the last decade to Galicia, located on the north-western end of the Iberian Peninsula, and successfully colonized and spread, resulting in a broad range of consequences to recipient ecosystems and, thereby, human society [5] Of these IAS, the yellow-legged Asian hornet (Vespa velutina Lepeletier 1836 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)) was detected in Galicia in 2012. In invaded areas such as Spain and South Korea, there is an increase in the number and severity of reactions in patients exposed to invasive species Vespa velutina venom. The medical community is requesting Vespa velutina venom extracts to aid diagnosis and treat allergy and/or anaphylaxis through immunotherapy [16,17]. The key motivation behind the present research was to obtain extracts of venom from the invasive species Vespa velutina. Once the insect passes through the tube and enters the venom extraction box, which occurs in 3–5 s, the net is removed and the inlet tube is closed with the lid

Electric Stimulation

Vespa Velutina Venom Removal and Processing in the Laboratory

Findings

Conclusions