Description

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Context

Invasive Asian hornets — Vespa velutina — have established a foothold in Britain, posing a severe threat to native pollinators, particularly honeybees.

About Asian Hornet

The Asian Hornet is a highly invasive wasp species first detected in Europe in 2004 and has since become a major threat to pollinators particularly the European honeybee.

Native to Southeast Asia the species has now established a foothold in the UK raising ecological and agricultural concerns.

Taxonomic Classification

Category	Details
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Arthropoda
Class	Insecta
Species	Vespa velutina

Features

25 m in length.

Black velvety thorax, Yellow-tipped legs, Orange band on the fourth abdominal segment, Dark antennae.

Often confused with native European hornets but are smaller and darker.

Habitat and Behavior

Builds large paper nests often in trees or buildings.

Highly adaptable to urban, rural and forested areas.

Dry and hot weather promotes rapid reproduction and expansion.

Can overwinter successfully, increasing the risk of population booms.

Spread

2004: First arrival in France via Chinese pottery shipments.

As of 2025 present in 15 European countries, including UK, Spain, Italy, Germany, Portugal etc.

Ecological and Economic Impacts

On Pollinators

Each nest consumes 11 kg of insects per season that is 90000 bees.

Predation on at least 1400 insect species including Honeybees, Bumblebees and other crop pollinators.

On Agriculture

Reduced pollination services directly affect Fruits, Vegetables and Oilseeds.

Honey yield losses

Portugal: 35%
Italy: 50%
France: Annual loss of €30.8 million

On Biodiversity

Disruption of native ecological balances.

Threat to local food chains.

On Human Health

Risk of multiple stings.

Anaphylactic reactions in sensitive individuals.

Measures for Containment and Surveillance

Strategy	Description
Early Detection Tools	Apps like Asian Hornet Watch and UKCEH online tool for public use
Nest Destruction	Implemented by the UK’s National Bee Unit since 2016
Quarantine & Trade Checks	Prevent reintroduction via cargo imports
Public Involvement	Citizens encouraged to report sightings
Scientific Monitoring	Use of DNA tracking and predictive models

Without containment hornets could have spread across England, Wales and into Scotland.

Climate Change Link

Hot, dry springs promote rapid expansion.

Climate models suggest expanding habitable zones for Vespa velutina.

Risk of spread to regions previously too cold — potentially India in future.

Common invasive alien species in India

Scientific Name	Common Name	Origin	Impact Area
Parthenium hysterophorus	Congress Grass / Carrot Grass	Central America	Agriculture, biodiversity loss
Lantana camara	Wild Sage	Tropical America	Forest ecology, displacing native flora
Eichhornia crassipes	Water Hyacinth	South America	Aquatic ecosystems, obstructs waterways
Prosopis juliflora	Vilayati Babul / Mesquite	Central America	Soil degradation, outcompetes native plants
Achatina fulica	Giant African Snail	East Africa	Damages crops, threatens biodiversity
Chromolaena odorata	Siam Weed	Central & South America	Invasive in tea, coffee plantations, forests
Pomacea canaliculata	Golden Apple Snail	South America	Paddy fields, wetland degradation