It has been expanding continuously since its launch in France in 2004, and has now set foot in many European countries. Most recently, it appeared in Slovakia, where, in order to quickly intervene, MATE specialists immediately traveled to the site and began work at the invitation of their Slovak colleagues.
The Slovak discovery
The first signal in Slovakia took place on September 28 this year in Palárikovo (Tótmegyer), located about 45 km from the Hungarian border. The sighting is linked to a local botanist and zoologist couple. Dr. Dušan Senko, working as a botanist, became aware of Asian horse wasps feeding on the sap of banana trees in his garden. He informed the authorities about this, as well as Helena Proková, the head of education related to the eradication and biology of the invasive horse wasp at the bee school in Béztercebánya (Stredná Odborná Škola). Additional individuals were spotted 400 meters away, where Asian horse wasps were hunting insects on ivy. After it was proved that they are constantly returning individuals, the MATE researchers – Dr. Balázs Kolics and Éva Kolics-Horváth – together with their Slovak colleagues (Helena Proková, Richard Schnieder and Dr. Dušan Senko) began the radio telemetry search for the nest in two locations, as well as samples were taken for molecular studies to confirm the morphological identification with genetic data. The discovery is a cause for serious concern, as Slovakia’s climate and habitats are favorable for the Asian horse wasp, so there is a risk of rapid proliferation. In addition, there is a high chance of the occurrence of further undetected populations, both in Slovakia and Hungary.
The importance of telemetry in locating the nest
Finding the nest as soon as possible is key to controlling the invasive horse wasp population to slow its spread. The Slovak specialists first tried to find the location of the nests using the traditional triangulation method on site, but this method did not lead to results. Therefore, they asked for the help of their Hungarian colleagues (MATE, Georgikon Campus) who had experience in radio telemetry and had several such devices.
On October 2nd, the first beacon was attached to a wasp caught at the banana tree. After releasing the marked specimen, the flight direction of the insect was tracked using the radio signals emitted by the transmitter. This individual was soon found feeding on an ivy bush in the yard of a private house, and after its release, the monitoring was continued, but unfortunately, due to private property obstacles in the inhabited settlement, it was not possible to approach the presumed location of the nest more precisely.
An additional individual was captured at the other site, and this specimen was also equipped with a beacon. This individual, on the other hand, went in the opposite direction. Following the signal of the beacon, it was possible to determine the expected location of the nest from two directions with an accuracy of 5-10 meters. The tracking was carried out with Yupiteru MVT 7100 and iCOM R20 type receivers used for previous works and Yagi antennas made for the 150MHz range. Based on the telemetry localization, the Slovak researchers finally managed to find the nest in the marked area, in a tree at a height of 20 meters, the next day, to which a drone equipped with a thermal camera was deployed. The drone used a 360-degree scan to identify the nest based on the temperature difference of 2.5 °C. Due to the cover of the foliage, the nest was only visible at an angle of about 5 degrees, which was greatly contributed to by fortunate weather conditions (large temperature difference). The nest was removed by the assigned firefighters. Unfortunately, since the two captured and transmitter-equipped wasps flew in opposite directions, it can also be assumed that there may be several nests in the affected area.
The importance of rapid intervention
Early detection and quick response are key to Asian horse wasp protection. Once again, radio telemetry proved to be an effective tool in locating the nest. The use of additional devices, such as a thermal camera, can help the search, but only under ideal environmental conditions. In terms of telemetry, further improvements are needed to increase efficiency and speed up detection. It is also important to develop appropriate legal frameworks, which enable barrier-free nest searches (e.g. with drones) against the invasive Asian horse wasp, especially in populated areas.
Domestic situation
In Hungary, the Asian horse wasp was spotted for the first time in August 2023, we currently have no confirmed information about a new appearance. MATE and BME researchers work intensively on the development of radio telemetry devices, especially the transmitter. These tools can significantly speed up the search for nests and contribute to slowing down the spread of the invasive species in the early stages of establishment. In addition, volunteer nest-searching groups established by MATE and its partner organization, the Hungarian Krajnai Association, help in the search for the invasive horse wasp.
The spread of the Asian horse wasp is a serious challenge for Europe. For effective protection, informing the population, continuous monitoring, rapid intervention and international cooperation are essential.
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Source: www.technokrata.hu
