Predatory behavior, nesting habits, and impacts on honey bees (Apis mellifera) of an invasive hornet (Vespa tropica) on the island of Guam

Hornets (genus Vespa ) are a conspicuous taxon of large eusocial wasps that are predators of other insects. Increasingly, hornets are gaining notoriety as damaging invaders after repeated introductions into novel habitats. Most hornets are highly effective predators, so they have the potential to gr...

Celý popis

Uloženo v:

Podrobná bibliografie
Vydáno v:	PloS one Ročník 20; číslo 9; s. e0332986
Hlavní autoři:	Rosario, Christopher A., Otis, Gard W., Miller, Ross H., Groover-Landis, Arianna A., Stanley, Ella S., Mattila, Heather R.
Médium:	Journal Article
Jazyk:	angličtina
Vydáno:	United States Public Library of Science 2025 Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Témata:	Animals Apis mellifera Beehives Beekeeping Bees Bees - physiology Biology Biomass Carpets Colonies Economic importance Ecosystem Ecosystem biology Ecosystems Entomofauna Genetic analysis Green infrastructure Honey Hunting Insects Introduced Species Islands Nesting Nesting behavior Nesting Behavior - physiology Nests Nonnative species Pollinators Predators Predatory behavior Predatory Behavior - physiology Rainy season Taxonomy Vespa tropica Vespidae Wasps - physiology New Guinea Singapore United States > US Asia Europe Japan Philippines Sumatra Guam Malaysia Indonesia
ISSN:	1932-6203, 1932-6203
On-line přístup:	Získat plný text
Tagy:	Přidat tag Žádné tagy, Buďte první, kdo vytvoří štítek k tomuto záznamu!

Popis
Shrnutí:	Hornets (genus Vespa ) are a conspicuous taxon of large eusocial wasps that are predators of other insects. Increasingly, hornets are gaining notoriety as damaging invaders after repeated introductions into novel habitats. Most hornets are highly effective predators, so they have the potential to greatly impact local entomofauna, including economically important pollinators. In 2016, Vespa tropica , a hornet with a broad natural range throughout subtropical and tropical Asia, was detected on Guam, although few details have been published since the initial alert. We provide the first comprehensive update on the status and impact of V. tropica hornets on Guam based on nine years of beekeeper and public reports, as well as field collections of nests, hornets, and videos of hunting behavior in managed apiaries. We show that the population of non-native V. tropica is established and thriving on Guam. Nests were found in a diversity of sites: below and above ground, sheltered and exposed, and in urban and greenspaces. V. tropica was a year-round predator in apiaries, with up to 12% of colony losses per year attributed to hornet attacks. Notably, hornets often attacked single honey bee ( Apis mellifera ) colonies in groups, similar to the hunting strategy of their close relatives, the giant hornets Vespa mandarinia and Vespa soror . Hornets killed defending workers, eventually weakening colonies and entering hives to consume bee brood. Bees mounted defenses that included alarm piping, bee ‘carpets’, and attempts to ball hornets. Hornets were active all year, but were significantly more active during the wet season (July‒December). Preliminary analysis of color forms suggested that the source of V. tropica on Guam is likely continental southeast Asia, although genetic analyses are required. Our study reveals that Guam is facing a fierce invader in V. tropica , which is placing strong predatory pressure on pre-established honey bees.
Bibliografie:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 14 content type line 23
ISSN:	1932-6203 1932-6203
DOI:	10.1371/journal.pone.0332986