The flip side of the coin:ecological function of the bee-hawking Asian hornet

Biological invasions around the world have experienced an unprecedented increase over the past few decades as a result of global change,worldwide trade and human mobility(Mack et al.2000).Invasive species have serious ecological and economic impacts across the globe.Among the areas with high levels of invasion,Europe faces the greatest biological invasion(van Kleunen et al.2015).The European Union commissioned a report on invasive alien species to assess their ecological and economic impacts.Nowadays,the Asian bee-hawking hornet Vespa velutina Lepeletier,1836 is in the line of fire in Europe(Rome&Villemant 2016).This hornet species is known as a serious predator of pollinators(such as honeybees),thus severely affecting insect pollination as well as apiculture in various European countries(Villemant et al.2011).