A wasp even more dangerous than the Asian one was identified in Asturias, Spain, and although it has not yet been detected in Portugal, the risk of arriving here is quite high.
It was a group of researchers from the University of Oviedo who identified four specimens of the Soror wasp in Asturias. The species considered even more dangerous and aggressive than the Velutina wasp, commonly known as Asian, has different characteristics: “they are larger, more yellow and the tail is black”.
And although there is still no observation in Portugal, given its proximity to Spain it is a threat to our country. “If they arrive, it’s another problem we’re going to have, especially in beekeeping,” admits Carlos Albuquerque from .
Beekeepers are concerned because this species, in addition to being a predator of vertebrates such as geckos, is mainly an insect hunter and bees are the most affected prey. The ICNF also began preventive surveillance because as they have an “underground nest, it is more difficult to detect them”.
The important thing now is to avoid what happened in Portugal with the spread of the Asian hornet. There was a reduction of 100 thousand hives and a drop in honey production of around 25%, which is why it is necessary to intervene preventively.
But This species is not only a threat to beekeeping, it is also a public health concern. “They have such a quantity of venom that the bites are very painful and persist for a long time” and, “if there are many bites or if they are on the head or neck, people should contact 112 immediately”
The Soror wasp is also from Asia and must have arrived in Spain on sea transport. Climate change may favor the adaptation of this exotic species to Mediterranean countries, causing harm to ecosystems.
