Emerging patterns in social wasp invasions

• Published in: Current opinion in insect science Vol. 46; pp. 72 - 77
• Main Author: Wilson Rankin, Erin E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01-08-2021
• ISSN: 2214-5745; 2214-5745
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2021.02.014

•Invasive social wasps are ecologically damaging and increasingly recognized for predation of bees.•Topics of research studies appear to parallel stage of invasion.•Competitive and predator release may contribute to invasion success.•Genomic technologies have potential to play a role in invasive species management.
Invasive species are a main driver of biodiversity loss and ecological change globally. Consequently, there is a need to understand how invaders damage ecosystems and to develop effective management strategies. Social wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) include some of the world’s most ecologically damaging invasive insects. In recent decades, the invasive social wasp literature has grown rapidly. This may be due in part to increased rate of introduction as well as greater public awareness of invasive wasps and their potential negative impacts on bees. Here, we investigate trends in invasive social wasp research, identifying the emergence of Vespa invasions, the mechanism-based inquiry into Vespula invasions, and the increased application of molecular methods to track invasive species through the invasion process.