Characterizing thermal tolerance in the invasive yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina nigrithorax): The first step toward a green control method.

ABSTRACT: The yellow-legged hornet, Vespa velutina nigrithorax (Hymenoptera: Vespidae, Lepeletier 1836), is native to Southeast Asia and has been unintentionally introduced in France. The species is spreading in many areas of the world. The European Union has classified V. velutina as a species of concern because the hornet significantly affects beekeeping activities, mostly by preying honeybees (Apis mellifera) at beehive entrances. No current control method is simultaneously eco-friendly and effective. Here, we aimed to develop a greener technique for destroying V. velutina nests, inspired by a defense behavior used by the eastern honeybee (Apis cerana), the "heat ball". In the laboratory, we tested how V. velutina of different sexes, castes, and developmental stages responded to different heat ex

SUBMITTER: Ruiz-Cristi I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7537856 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature