Some stories sometimes draw a lot of attention. I recently found about the latest fashioned biological invasion overseas, Vespa velutina. This Panasian hornet species, which flies from India to China, seems to have recently been established in Southern France and is apparently invading the country very fast (or is it that people actually do pay more attention to this today and also have more easily access to information allowing identification, thus enabling a more efficient cartography?).
This species didn’t really get studied in the mainstream scientific litterature and information is scarce. We learn that another species names was attributed to this entity (under the sweet name of Vespa auraria) which was recently arranged into synonymy with V. velutina [1], we thus had two names for a unique species, though Vespa auraria had even less been studied. Let’s note however that two sub-species are described, as illustrated at this site.
This hornet species is a bee predator, so that people are more afraid. If one adds the greater awareness concerning the “pollination crisis” (pollinators are rarer and rarer in natural landscapes and pollination service decreases, which leads to a subsequent decrease in fruitset, sometimes it may be related to an epidemic problem for Apis mellifera, though this is a problem concerning all pollinator species).
We know that in the two Eurasian bee species, one (Apis cerana) is more prone to defend the hive efficiciently against these hornets [2] (most attacks simply occur as flight embushes but sometimes hive assault happens instead of simple predator/prey aggressions), but in this case foraging decrease significantly. No difference in foraging behaviour was detected with the main domestic bee species Apis mellifera. This may change in the coming years nevertheless whenever the frequency of these interactions increase due to the recent invasion…
We can also add to these a study about the venom composition of Vespa velutina with other wasps [3], and the description of an hospitalization just following an atack from a swarm [4] (don’t be scared, this kind of accident will certainly not be more frequent than that occuring with our indigenous species V. crabro, moreover this anaphylactic shock was caused by at least 200 stinks, and Vespa velutina venom does not differ much from other wasp venoms [3] ).
Apart than this, not a single study easy to retrieve. However, the press and internet seem to favour a high level alert. Off course, our brave little bees will have to endure another new threat, adding to the already long list of potential scary dangers. Despite all of this, we can hardly predict an actual ecological disaster. Indeed, those hornets may have been introduced for a few years without us to notice earlier.
The incredibly fast invasion did not lead to an alert from beekeepers, but when the first entomological note about the invader was published… [5]. But claims that our indigenous species is going to be driven to extinction by the invading hornet are difficult to believe: the ecological niches of these two species are not the same, given that they prey on very different insects, or that their nesting habits are indeed very different…
So to say, I find that this situation is probably more going to translate into an increase of biodiversity in France, which I tend to think is a good thing. Welcome to Vespa velutina!
[1]- Nguyen, L.T.P., Saito, F., Kojima, J.-I., and J.M. Carpenter. 2006. Vespidae of Viet Nam (Insecta: Hymenoptera) 2. Taxonomic notes on Vespinae. Zoological Science, 23 (1), pp. 95-104.
[2]- Ken, T., Hepburn, H.R., Radloff, S.E., Yusheng, Y., Yiqiu, L., Danyin, Z., and P. Neumann. 2005. Heat-balling wasps by honeybees. Naturwissenschaften, 92 (10), pp. 492-495.
[3]- Shi, W.-J., Zhang, S.-F., Zhang, C.-X., and J.-A. Cheng. 2003. Cloning and comparative analysis of the venom prepromelittin genes from four wasp species. Acta Genetica Sinica 30 (6), pp. 555-559.
[4]- Chao, S.-C., and Y.-Y. Lee. 1999. Acute rhabdomyolysis and intravascular hemolysis following extensive wasp stings. International Journal of Dermatology 38 (2), pp. 135-137.
[5]- Jean Haxaire, Jean-Pierre Bouguet et Jean-Philippe Tamisier. 2006. Vespa velutina Lepeletier, 1836, une redoutable nouveauté pour la faune de France (Hym., Vespidae), Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France, 111 (2): 194.
Many people seem to panic the moment they see anything unusual. It is highly unlikely that this hornet will do much damage and even with the higher temperatures we are now getting in the summers, its spread will probably be fairly limited.
Some native hornets are reported to catch bees, although I have never seen them do this, but they are far less of a problem than our native wasps (in the UK), which can lead to loss of hives in the autumn when they attempt to rob. The consequent fighting can deplete the colony so much that they don’t survive the winter.
I am an expat living in dordogne, France. We had a bee hive in an old walunut tree that have swarmed twice this year. We called a local bee keeper who kindly set us up with 2 beehives (as we wanted to keep them). Over the last 2 weeks we have noticed 2 types of hornets(?) that are attacking and killing bees. One looks exactly like a huge wasp. The other I think is the asian wasp which hovers just above the hive and catches them as they come and go. It is black with an orangy stripe at the bottom of the tail. We have killed a few ourselves. Could anyone help identify what they are. I can try and pictures.
Thanks
Hello, i had a question…
in a sheet i read the other day it says that when Hornets invade a bee hive, hundreds of beefs will quickly form a compact ball around the hornet to stop, the Hornet dies after 20 minutes but why?
it also says that the bees dont sting, bite, crush, or suffocate it, then why does the Hornet die?
please message me the answer to iTOKE2113@hotmail.com thank you very much
Please find an answer here: bees are thermally killing the hornet.
I was bitten by vespa velutina (a nasty French baby wasp) while on vacation in Provence in June. A local doctor put me on antihistamine and steroids and told me it would take several weeks to go away. When I got back to the states, it flared up more and I saw a Doctor who put me on a heavy dose of prednisone. At first, the redness on my thigh diminished, but then it returned. I’m still on the Prednison, it’s been 6 weeks now, and I still have the redness (tho not as bad). I worry because I have both an artificial knee and hip on that right side. Any suggestions? I’m in northern NH and the doctors here don’t seem to know what to do??
I first noticed the (what i believe to be) Asian hornet in approx. 2001. in the trees of my South Jersey home. They were very active at night near the out side lamp. eatting night bugs. Also they would fly over my house and drop splashes of brown “stuff” on the siding during the day. On one event my husband and pet dog must have found the (very large and lazy ) Queen bee at the base of an Oak Tree. Before my husband was able to kill it, my dog had been bitten! which he still bares the scar. The crashed bee was green inside. Also at night when the bees will hang on the screen with red glowing eyes.
I now have moved further south in New Jersey, in Atlantic county and have witnessed one of these bees killing a monarch butterfly. I managed to kill the bee and rescue the monarch only to find it later very diabled. This past winter my son dug one up by accident in the dirt. In the past i would always have lots of honey bees on my glover, this year i didn see any!! just a few at the end of the season.
ASIAN GIANT Hornet. A few years ago my boys were attending a day camp in Linwold NJ. (Main Land regional hs) Where they have and the staff wittnessed what we believe to be the Giant Aisian Hornet . They were living in mounds of dirt . my son describe them being enormous and much larger the the ones he has seen in our yard. He watched as a sea gull attempted to eat one! the seagull screamed and dropped it and left a bloody mark on its neck….. the staff at first dismissed their fears has childish until they saw for themselves. Which brought all indoors.
I think we have both types here, and not only are the bee’s at risk but alot of other”friendly bugs, praying mantis etc.” also noticed for the 1st time this year i didn’t have the “june bug ” issue. in my lawn??