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Issue: Vol. 5154 No. 3: 15 Jun. 2022
Type: Article
Published: 2022-06-15
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5154.3.4
Page range: 305-318
Abstract views: 644
PDF downloaded: 118

First record of Vespa crabro Linnaeus (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in western North America with a review of recorded species of Vespa Linnaeus in Canada

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes, 960 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0C6, Canada
Spencer Entomological Collection, Beaty Biodiversity Museum, University of British Columbia, 2212 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes, 960 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0C6, Canada
diagnosis DNA barcodes hornets invasive morphology Hymenoptera

Abstract

Vespa crabro Linnaeus is newly reported as an adventive species in British Columbia, Canada which is the first record of this invasive species in western North America. The specimen of V. crabro was identified using morphological diagnostic keys and by comparison to authoritatively identified specimens. DNA barcoding provided support that the British Columbia specimen is conspecific with sequenced specimens of V. crabro. It is not possible to be certain of the origin of the specimen, but the DNA barcode was identical to sequence from specimens of V. crabro from South Korea. DNA barcoding was also performed on morphologically identified specimens of Vespa simillima and Vespa soror collected previously in British Columbia and the sequences were closest to V. simillima and V. soror Genbank sequences, respectively. There is no evidence that any of these species have established populations in the province. We provide diagnostic morphological characters to distinguish Canadian Vespa species from each other including Vespa mandarinia which has recently established populations in British Columbia and Washington State, USA. The potential detrimental impacts of each species are discussed.

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