A new study has revealed the astonishing range of prey consumed by Asian hornets, with researchers identifying around 1,449 species in their guts.
Prey included a diverse mix of insects such as bees, wasps, flies, beetles, butterflies, moths and even spiders.
The findings, published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, confirm that while European honey bees are a key target – appearing in every sampled nest and nearly all larvae – the Asian hornet's diet is far broader than previously thought.
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Why are scientists interested in what Asian hornets eat?
The research team used deep sequencing (the meticulous analysis of genetic variations within an organism's genome) to analyse the gut contents of over 1,500 Asian hornet larvae from France, Spain, Jersey and the UK. These larvae rely on food brought to them by adult hornets; so, the gut contents of the larvae reflect the adult's diet.
Of the 50 most common species found in the guts of the Asian hornets, 43 are known to visit flowers, including Europe’s three primary crop pollinators: the European honey bee, the buff-tailed bumblebee and the red-tailed bumblebee.
“Asian hornets are known to prey on honey bees, but until now the full range of their diet hasn’t been tested,” says lead author Siffreya Pedersen.
With many insect populations already in decline due to habitat loss and pollution, the spread of Asian hornets presents an additional challenge, says Pedersen.
“This study provides critical new evidence of the ecological impact of Asian hornets as they continue to spread,” adds Dr Peter Kennedy of Exeter’s Environment and Sustainability Institute.
Main image: Asian hornet/Getty
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