First recorded NI sighting of 'harmful' Asian hornet

It is Northern Ireland's first recorded sighting of the insect

The first sighting of an Asian hornet in Northern Ireland has been confirmed, the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) has said.

The insect was captured in the Dundonald area on Friday 10 October by a member of the public.

The Environment Minister Andrew Muir said "this is a solitary Asian hornet, but a departmental response is underway to ensure that no other Asian hornets are present".

Individual hornets and nests have been increasingly recorded in southern counties of England, while two nests were found and destroyed in County Cork earlier this summer.

Asian hornets pose no greater threat to humans than native hornets, however they do pose a bigger threat to native insects.

The hornets feed on more than 1,000 species including honey bees, bumble bees, butterflies and beetles.

The environment minister added: "This is a harmful species that I do not wish to see becoming established in Northern Ireland as it presents a serious threat to both biosecurity and local ecology, particularly valuable pollinating insects."

The NIEA said its officials have begun a monitoring programme involving live traps and a visual survey to determine if it is an isolated hornet, or whether there may be a nest.

In a statement the body said If other Asian hornets are detected and confirmed, "intensive monitoring will continue to trace and remove any nest, with monitoring afterwards to ensure that there is no further Asian hornet activity".

It added: "The public are also urged to be vigilant and report any suspect insects, ideally with a photograph, to DAERA."