Bioclimatic Modelling Identifies Suitable Habitat for the Establishment of the Invasive European Paper Wasp (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) across the Southern Hemisphere

摘要

The European paper wasp, Polistes dominula Christ (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), has become an invasive species across the globe. This wasp can reach high population densities and this, combined with its predatory nature, makes this insect a potential threat to biodiversity. There has been a lot of research conducted on this species throughout the northern hemisphere; however, little is known about their distribution in the southern hemisphere. Our objective was to identify where, in the southern hemisphere, P. dominula could become established. Two species distribution modelling approaches were used to make these predictions. Based on these models, there are large areas across southern South America, South Africa, southern Australia, and much of New Zealand that are likely to be at risk of further invasion by this species. These findings can be used to inform biosecurity measures in regions deemed at risk of invasion by this globally important pest.