Department of Biological Sciences, Kongju National University, Gongju, Republic of Korea.
Research Panning and Coordination Team, Korea National Arboretum, Pocheon, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea.
Sci Rep. 2022 Mar 18;12(1):4737. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-08756-2.
The yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina nigrithorax) is an invasive species in South Korea with negative economic, ecological, and public health impacts. We investigated genetic and morphological variation in the species populations on Mt. Jiri, the tallest mountain in South Korea. We hypothesized that a high-altitude would be negatively correlated with the genetic diversity of the hornet population, and hornet wing morphology would change with an increase in altitude. Our results showed that the genetic diversity of yellow-legged hornets did not decrease as altitude increased. Regardless of the altitude, the inbreeding coefficient was high at the newly colonized sites. A single genetic population occurred in the mountainous areas examined and gradually expanded its range. Wing morphology, especially shape, did not change with an increase in altitude or decrease in temperature. Although snow cover and cool temperatures at high altitudes could limit nest-building activities, they did not prevent the extension of the range of the species. Therefore, the yellow-legged hornet cannot be controlled naturally by climate or topography; combined approaches, including chemical control, nest removal, and bait-trapping techniques should be implemented.
黄足虎头蜂（Vespa velutina nigrithorax）是韩国的入侵物种，对经济、生态和公共健康都有负面影响。我们调查了韩国最高峰雉岳山的该物种种群的遗传和形态变化。我们假设高海拔会与蜂群的遗传多样性呈负相关，并且随着海拔的升高，虎头蜂的翅膀形态会发生变化。我们的研究结果表明，黄足虎头蜂的遗传多样性并没有随着海拔的升高而降低。无论海拔如何，新殖民化地点的近亲繁殖系数都很高。在调查的山区，只出现了一个单一的遗传种群，并且其范围逐渐扩大。翅膀形态，特别是形状，没有随着海拔的升高或温度的降低而改变。尽管高海拔地区的积雪和凉爽的温度可能会限制筑巢活动，但它们并没有阻止该物种的范围扩大。因此，黄足虎头蜂不能被气候或地形自然控制；应该采取化学控制、巢穴清除和诱饵诱捕技术等综合方法。
