A single Asian hornet sparked the species' fast and ongoing spread across Europe, researchers discovered. Scientists have revealed that all Asian hornets living in Europe likely descended from a single mated queen that landed in France in 2004.
The Asian hornet, or V. velutina, is thought to have arrived in Europe from China in 2004, and since then it has spread rapidly across the continent. The Asian hornets in Europe are all descendants of a single pedigree.
Discovering the genetic lineage of this hornet is evidence that single mated queens can rapidly re-colonise areas where hornets have been eradicated, such as by intensively destroying all nests in a location. It also shows alien insects could become invasive pests after just one gets accidentally imported.
