Broad ecological threats of an invasive hornet revealed through a deep sequencing approach.

Most terrestrial invertebrates are in considerable decline, and the range expansion of the invasive hornet, Vespa velutina nigrithorax, poses an additional threat. Although now found in much of western Europe, the full extent of the hornet's predatory activity remains unexplored. While impacts on honey bees are well-documented, evidence of a wider dietary spectrum is emerging, indicating potentially broad ecological ramifications.

Prevalence and population genetic analyses of parasites in invasive Vespa velutina and native Hymenoptera.

Invasive species pose a threat to the ecological balance of the ecosystems they invade by altering local host-pathogen dynamics. To investigate these relationships and their potential consequences, we examined the prevalence and genetic diversity patterns of Trypanosomatidae, Lipotrophidae, and Nosematidae in a collection of sympatric isolates of the invasive hornet Vespa velutina and local Hymenoptera from two recently colonized areas: Europe and South Korea. Data were gathered through PCR amplification and massive parallel sequencing, and analyses were conducted using population genetics tools.