Managing incursions of Vespa velutina nigrithorax in the UK: an emerging threat to apiculture

Abstract

Vespa velutina nigrithorax is an invasive species of hornet accidentally introduced into Europe in 2004. It feeds on invertebrates, including honey bees, and represents a threat to European apiculture. In 2016, the first nest of this hornet was detected and destroyed on mainland UK. A further 8 nests were discovered between 2016 and 2019. Nest dissection was performed on all nests together with microsatellite analyses of different life stages found in the nests to address the reproductive output and success of nests found in the UK. None of the nests had produced the next generation of queens. Follow-up monitoring in those regions detected no new nests in the following years. Diploid males were found in many UK nests, while microsatellite analysis showed that nests had low genetic diversity and the majority of queens had mated with one or two males. All UK nests derived from the European zone of secondary colonisation, rather than from the native range of the species. None of the nests discovered so far have been direct offspring of another UK nest. The evidence suggests that these nests were separate incursions from a continental population rather than belonging to a single established UK population of this pest.