Each week, find in our columns “ the Nature corner “in partnership with the Permanent Center for Environmental Initiatives (CPIE) of the Serres-Vallée du Lot region.
Is it already too late? Vespa orientalis Linnaeus, an oriental hornet hitherto absent from the metropolis is therefore added to the list of two other hornets observed in France, the European hornet and the Asian hornet. If this species were to settle permanently, it might not colonize the whole country because this hornet prefers arid environments. However the swarms multiply very quickly.
Recognize it
The oriental hornet is distinguished and easily identified thanks to its red color. Regarding its size, it is bigger than the Asian hornet.
Queens measure between 25 and 35 mm while males and workers can reach a maximum of 25 mm.
One thing is for sure, both males and females have been found, so they can reproduce. Unlike other species, this hornet has very little hairiness and appears almost hairless to the naked eye, with a yellow part on the abdomen and on the front of the head.
Recently in Lot-et-Garonne, departmental elected officials voted € 30,000 for another study on the Asian hornet.
Pressure maintained by beekeepers when we know that it will never disappear. And a delay because now the urgency is to take care of the orientalis.
During the first sighting in Marseille last September, the eastern hornet was in the company of the European hornet (Vespa crabro) and the Asian hornet (Vespa velutina). A total of 18 workers from Vespa orientalis. Its capacity for expansion is considered strong.
Not alone
A third invasive hornet could well appear in France. Vespa bicolor, an Asian species commonly found in southern Asia has recently arrived in southern Spain.
Introduced accidentally in Europe probably by freight transport, it is likely to go up north with frequent exchanges.
History plays out again! These species acclimatize all the more easily to their new environment with global warming and urbanization.
More information on the activities of the association on www.cpie47.fr and on Facebook CPIE 47. Find out more [email protected] and on www.abcvilleneuve.fr. To contact us: 05 53 36 73 34 or [email protected]
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