Assessing predation pressure of Vespa velutina on local fauna through DNA metabarcoding

The invasive yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina nigrithorax Buysson, 1905) is a social hymenopteran native to Asia and an invasive species in Europe. This species poses a significant threat to local ecosystems and economies across Europe due to its predation on a wide range of insects, mainly honeybees. Despite its presence on the European continent for nearly 20 years, there is limited information about its trophic spectrum. This study aims to unravel the qualitative prey spectrum of V. velutina within the local entomofauna using DNA metabarcoding tools. Meconium samples were collected from yellow-legged hornet nests removed in Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Spain) and DNA barcodes were amplified and sequenced using an arthropod-specific mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) primer set. Results showed that a fraction of the detected diet is unique to each nest and revealed a preference for Apidae, Calliphoridae, Vespidae, Muscidae, and Sarcophagidae insect prey. The study also identified the potential impacts of V. velutina on local insect populations with diverse functional roles, highlighting the ecological implications of this invasive species. The implementation of advanced molecular techniques allowed us to assess the dietary diversity of V. velutina and its potential role in shaping local entomofaunal communities. This research enhances our understanding of predator–prey interactions in invaded ecosystems and underscores the importance of DNA metabarcoding tools for studying the foraging behavior of invasive species.