Genetic Patterns Of Vespa Velutina In Spain

The yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina) is a social Hymenoptera native from Asia and an invasive species in Europe where was first detected in France in 2004 and have spread across the continent reaching peninsular Spain in 2010 and Mallorca island in 2015. Its predatory habits on a broad diversity of pollinators including Apis mellifera are known to have a negative impact on ecosystems. Here we investigate both the origin and phylogenetic relationships of V. velutina in peninsular Spain and Mallorca island based on the analysis of DNA sequences from the gene encoding the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) and 13 nuclear STR (microsatellite) markers. Our results retrieved the Spanish V. velutina population nested in a genetic cluster including other European populations and specimens sampled in Jiangsu and Zhejiang (China). In addition, we provide evidence for an origin of both peninsular Spain and Mallorca V. velutina populations derived from the spreading southward of the yellow-legged hornets initially established in France, which have successfully spread an established in much of Europe.