A new invasive insect may not have the size of the much-talked about Asian giant "murder" hornet, but the smaller, winged meanie is just a big a threat to honeybees everywhere.
And that threat could come flying into Florida if the spotting of the hornet in Georgia means it might spread further South. That is such a concern that state officials are forming a task force to be prepared for a possible invasive "invasion."
To track the spread of the yellow-legged hornet, scientifically named Vespa velutina, UF/IFAS honey bee experts are working with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to spread the word on what residents can do if they see or catch one of these hornets.
“Honey bees in North America have no natural defenses against the yellow-legged hornet, so keeping this species from making a home in Florida is of the utmost importance to our honey bee populations and thus our food supply,” said Amy Vu, state specialized program extension agent for the University of Florida/IFAS Honey Bee Research and Extension Laboratory.
Vu said the yellow legged hornet is a generalist predator.
"So it doesn't only feed on honeybees, but it is a major concern for honeybees and beekeepers, not just in Florida, but around the nation. It is an invasive species," she said. "So finding it in Savannah is a bit concerning."
The Vespa velutina is an invasive hornet that preys on honey bees and honey bee larva. The first United States sighting of the predator, which has already damaged Europe’s bee populations, was last week in Savannah, Georgia, by the Georgia Department of Agriculture after a backyard beekeeper spotted, captured and reported two hornets.
Vu said colleagues in Europe, many of them are in France and the United Kingdom, have been dealing with the yellow legged hornet for quite some time.
"What this velutina does is it preys on adults, and brood which is the developing honeybees," Vu explained. "So not only does it attack the inside of a colony, but it will also wait on the outside of a honeybee colony for adult these the foragers to come out. So they can prey on them as well."
Keith Councell, a Southwest Florida beekeeper and apiculture chairman of the Florida Farm Bureau, met for several hours Friday with bureau members about the new invasive.
Councell said the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is forming a task force to get ahead of them and be prepared.
Councell said state experts have even travelled overseas to look at and study the insect.
"We know enough of the biology, how they work, to control them, hopefully," he said.
The yellow-legged hornet is smaller, but similar to the Vespa mandarinia, known by its nickname the “murder hornet,” which has a distinct orange mark on its head.
The yellow-legged hornet is best identified by its yellowish-white-colored legs, is about 1.2 centimeters to 3 centimeters long, and has a broad orange-yellow face with large, prominent eyes. The thorax and abdomen are mostly black with a single yellow section near the end of the abdomen, according to UF/IFAS informational documents.
The yellow-legged hornet is often mistaken with the commonly seen European hornet, Vespa crabro, which is not a substantial threat to bees.
To report a suspected yellow-legged hornet email dpihelpline@fdacs.gov or call the FDACS hotline at 1-888-397-1517.
The yellow-legged hornet is often mistaken with the commonly seen European hornet, Vespa crabro, which is not a substantial threat to bees. The European hornet, which does not have yellow/white legs, should not be submitted as samples, if possible.
"If there's a way that if anyone believes that they find or they have a sighting of this hornet, they can try to take a photo at a safe distance," Vu said. "If they're able to collect the sample, identifying them by their legs and the color of their legs is going to be the best way to be able identify this hornet."
ABOUT UF/IFAS
The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences(UF/IFAS) is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human and natural resources and to make that knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. With more than a dozen research facilities, 67 county Extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF/IFAS brings science-based solutions to the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries, and all Florida residents.ifas.ufl.edu | @UF_IFAS
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