First-ever European sighting of the infamous ‘murder hornet’ alien species

Researchers in Spain are busy discovering the first southern giant hornet nest ever discovered in Europe.

Also known as the “murder hornet” because it is known to kill beehives, this insect grows to an average length of 2 inches. They are native to parts of Asia. India, China, Thailand, Vietnam.

in research published last month Five Spanish scientists described two separate sightings in the journal Ecology and Evolution. The scientific name of the southern giant hornet is Vespa soror. Both were in Cielo, a city in northern Asturias. A pair was discovered in March 2022, and another two in October 2023.

Researchers believe the hornet's nest dates back at least a year.

Asian giant hornet — A closely related species that originates from other parts of Asia, it was first discovered in the US state of Washington in late 2019. The northern hornet and the southern hornet have similar behavior and appearance, but the former ShiChange the nesting period They then build small colonies or nests.

The first northern giant hornet nest discovered in the United States was promptly destroyed in October 2020, but live hornets were discovered in Washington the following year.

Southern giant hornets are known to send out scout teams to find colonies of prey, and the scouts rub their bodies against the hive or nearby plants to signal other hornets to join them. According to Research published in 2021. It then enters the “slaughter stage” where the entire hive can be destroyed within a few hours.

Asian giant hornets have not been found in Europe, neither in the north nor in the south. That's more than the four recorded in Spain. Scientists behind the recent study believe the hornets likely first arrived on a cargo ship.

Omar Sánchez, lead author of the study and zoologist A professor at the University of Oviedo in Spain said he expected the hornets to affect the balance of local ecosystems, as they actively prey on native hornets, bees, butterflies, moths and flies. A long-term decline in bee populations could impact honey availability and disrupt the pollination process that many plants and crops depend on.

“Here in northern Spain, we have another type of Asian hornet called Vespa verntina, which is causing serious damage to the beekeeping industry, so the presence of another hornet could potentially amplify the negative impact. Yes,” he said.

Sánchez added that the researchers: They are trying to find the nest in order to destroy it.

“This species nests more than 30 meters underground, so it's not easy to find, so you have to be a little bit careful,” he says. “We are trying.”

Sánchez said researchers are looking for more hornet sightings.

Sanchez and his study co-authors discovered and captured four of the hornets after hearing from beekeepers in the area that they had seen the unusual-looking hornets. After capturing the wasps, scientists extracted DNA samples and conducted genetic testing and analysis to confirm the species.

Molly Keck, an entomologist at Texas A&M University, said the genetic research that identified this species will “help educate the public and beekeepers and educate local governments so that management planning, education, mapping and distribution can be done.” “This is the first step towards mitigation efforts such as issuing warnings.” . ”

“Most of these invasive species will come in through some port city, so no matter what quarantine or checking measures are in place, there's always a way to find them.” she added.

Keck said countries may need to tighten such processes around the world as a precaution if they want to ensure their cargo is bug-free.

Sanchez said the detection of the southern giant hornet in Spain shows that more hornets are likely to emerge.

“Perhaps in the near future this species will be detected again in other parts of Spain, and perhaps also in Europe,” he says.