Common name: Asian hornet
Scientific name: Vespa velutina
Order: Hymenoptera
Main season: All year round
Vespa velutina nigritorax is an invasive exotic species (R. D. 630/2013) and native of South-East Asia. It was detected for the first time in Spain, in 2010 in Baztán (Navarra) and in Legazpi, Irún, Hondarribia, Oiartzun, Pasaia, Lasarte-Oria and Aduna (Guipúzcoa). Since then, it has extended and has been detected in Garrotxa and L’Alt Emporda (Cataluña), Otañes and Guriezo (Cantabria), Asturias, Galicia, La Rioja and Burgos.
The Asian hornet is easy to recognise, as it is the only hornet in Europe to have such a dark colour. The V. velutina nigrithorax variety has an entirely velvety dark brown or black thorax and chestnut-brown abdominal segments with yellow stripes. Only the 4th abdominal segment is almost entirely a yellow-orange colour. The head is black, the face is yellow-orange and the legs are brown at the end.
Vespa velutina
Vespa velutina: nigrithorax: back view (left) and front view (right)
Photo: © Didier DescouensThe Asian hornet is slightly smaller than the native species Vespa crabro, whose workers measure between 18 - 23 mm and the queens between 25 - 35 mm. Vespa velutina nigrithorax measures between 17 - 32 mm long.
Vespa crabro
This species usually builds its nests on the tops of trees and sometimes in undisturbed and protected areas in buildings (stairs, abandoned barns, chicken coops or parts of buildings, etc.) or in bushes and the nests are very rarely buried in the ground.
Vespa velutina wasps nests
Vespa velutina larvae inside a destroyed nest
Vespa velutina on alert on a nest
The queens that have mated during the previous season emerge from hibernation between February and March. Each queen creates a new colony and begins building the primary nest where they lay their eggs. Twenty workers hatch from the eggs between April and May. The colony moves to another tree and builds a secondary wasp’s nest from May or June. From this nest, new workers emerge (up to 1000 or 1500) and at the end of summer, the females (100-300) and males leave the nest. The fertilised females disperse from the end of August until October. At the end of October and November, the colony stops its activity and the queen dies.
The Vespa velutina nigrithorax adults feed on nectar and ripe fruit, whilst the larvae prefer feeding on honey bees and other insects that are taken to the nest by the workers.
Over a period of two or three months the workers hunt insects, including bees, 80% are in urban areas and 50% are in rural areas. This can be an additional stress factor for honey bees, adding to the current problem of the decrease in pollinators.
BIOCONTROL
The ECONEX solution for the biocontrol of the Asian hornet is highly effective, as can be seen in this video, in which specimens of the Asian hornet Vespa velutina are caught and observed in a VELUTINATRAP® trap baited with the natural liquid attractant VELUTINATRAP® ATTRACTANT.
A VELUTINATRAP® trap and a bottle of the attractant VELUTINATRAP® ATTRACTANT.
VELUTINATRAP®
Trap specially designed for the capture of the Asian hornet Vespa velutina.
Code: UIPFETA258
OMDF register number (Ministry of Agriculture of Spain): 071/2018
VELUTINATRAP® ATTRACTANT
Natural liquid attractant to use in traps VELUTINATRAP® for the attraction of the Asian hornet Vespa velutina, with a duration of 60 days in normal field conditions.
Code: UIPHOVA390
VELUTINATRAP® KIT. Kit made up of 2 VELUTINATRAP® traps and 2 bottles of the natural liquid attractant VELUTINATRAP® ATTRACTANT.
VELUTINATRAP® KIT.
Kit consisting of 2 VELUTINATRAP® traps and 2 bottles of VELUTINATRAP® ATTRACTANT for the capture of the Asian hornet Vespa velutina.
Code: UIPHOVA391
The VELUTINATRAP® is a trap that has a large capacity, is very weather resistant and long-lasting in the field. It consists of a transparent base with a large capacity, a yellow funnel with a green cap to prevent rainwater from entering and a yellow strainer to separate the hornets captured by the VELUTINATRAP® ATTRACTANT (not included).
Parts of VELUTINATRAP®
The VELUTINATRAP® ATTRACTANT is a natural liquid attractant used for attracting the Asian hornet Vespa velutina, cwith a duration of 60 days in normal field conditions. It comes in bottles of 190 ml.
CAUTION: HANDLE THE TRAP WITH THE CORRECT PROTECTION IN THE EVENT THAT THERE ARE LIVE HORNETS INSIDE.
Corrugated cardboard box of 35 KITS.
Box size: 0,60 x 0,80 x 0,48 m (length x width x height).
Box weight: 9,4 kg.
No. of boxes per pallet: 8
Pallet size: 0,80 x 1,20 x 1,90 m (length x width x height).
Pallet weight: 75.2 kg.
Box of 35 KITS.
Corrugated cardboard box of 16 KITS.
Box size: 0,32 x 0,24 x 0,22 m (length x width x height).
Box weight: 5,10 kg.
No. of boxes per pallet: 45
Pallet size: 0,80 x 1,20 x 1,24 m (length x width x height).
Pallet weight: 220 kg.
Box of 16 KITS.
Corrugated cardboard box of 10 KITS.
Box size: 0.80 x 0.60 x 0.48 m (length x width x height).
Box weight: 9.40 kg.
No. of boxes per pallet: 8
Pallet size: 1.20 x 0.80 x 1.90 m (length x width x height).
Pallet weight: 75.2 kg.
Box of 10 KITS.
VELUTINATRAP® KIT LEAFLET
The leaflet can be downloaded in PDF format by clicking on the image.
ECONEX LEARNING CENTER
ECONEX puts at your disposal the first open knowledge center that brings together everything necessary to implement pest biocontrol in your crops. We have developed different types of resources to share with you the knowledge we have acquired during our more than 38 years of experience. Each of them is designed to respond, in the best possible way, to different questions related to pheromones, attractants, repellents and insect traps.
To access ECONEX LEARNING CENTER click on the image.
SANIDAD AGRÍCOLA ECONEX, S.L. only guarantees the composition, formulation and content of the products, taking responsibility for the direct, immediate and exclusive damages caused in the composition, formulation and content of the products sold. SANIDAD AGRÍCOLA ECONEX, S.L. will not be held responsible for damages produced by factors beyond the company’s control that have either totally or partially contributed. For instance, the weather conditions, usage or mixing with other products, amongst others. In addition, SANIDAD AGRÍCOLA ECONEX, S.L. will provide recommendations and information supported by extensive and meticulous research and tests; which must be taken into account by the customer when using the products. The customer will be responsible for any damage caused, in whole or in part, for the total or partial non-observance of the instructions provided. Furthermore, the customer will be responsible for all that is referred to as the performance of the products; which comes from total or partial non-observance of the instructions and information provided by the company.