Antibacterial potential of Nidus vespae built by invasive alien hornet,Vespa velutina nigrithorax,against food‐borne pathogenic bacteria

The yellow‐legged hornet, Vespa velutina nigrithorax, is an invasive social wasp found in temperate regions and is recognized as a hazardous insect, as it often attacks humans and honeybees. Nidus vespae (nests of social wasps) are traditionally used as a medicinal ingredient; thus, V. v. nigrithorax may be useful as a biological resource. Extracts of Nidus vespae built by V. v. nigrithorax were examined for their antibacterial activity screening against six food‐borne pathogenic bacteria, and the ethyl acetate and butanol layer of the extract exhibited inhibitory activity against the pathogenic bacteria. We determined the antibacterial activity of Nidus vespae built by V. v. nigrithorax for the first time.     

Occurrence of Vespa velutina Lepeletier from Korea, and a revised key for Korean Vespa species (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

This is the first report of occurrence of Vespa velutina Lepeletier from Korea. The diagnosis and taxonomic relationship between geographical subspecies is provided, with a revised key to complement the previous taxonomic information of Korean Vespa species. The ecological aspect of the species is also discussed.