Chemical and genetic evidences that multiple hornet colonies attack honeybee colonies

The yellow-legged hornet, Vespa velutina nigrithorax, is an invasive species that causing numerous ecological and economic problems, particularly for beekeepers, whose apiaries are seriously affected by hornet predation. effects may be intensified if workers from different colonies preying upon bees the same apiary. Therefore, to determine whether such could occur, we sampled hornets found within identifiable versus in front of beehives. We employed two complementary methodological approaches: analysis chemical markers (i.e., cuticular hydrocarbons) genetic microsatellites). Although there was variation among hornets, determined at least chemically homogeneous groups each apiary studied (using K-means clustering). Furthermore, when dissimilarity quantified three levels (within apiaries, colonies, between colonies), discovered within-apiary intermediate relative within-colony between-colony dissimilarity, suggesting a given represented mixture individuals more than one colony. Based on markers, diversity low population level, as expected this introduced species. That said, results mirrored results: larger smaller colonies. However, displayed value. Consequently, both our findings suggested attacked