Asian hornets eating wide range of insects

The findings raised new concerns over the "extra threat" the hornet poses to native insects

Invasive Asian hornets are "highly flexible predators" that eat hundreds of different species of insects, including many important pollinators, researchers have warned.

Researchers from the University of Exeter carried out analysis to identify prey in the guts of more than 1,500 hornet larvae from 103 nests in Jersey, France, Spain and the UK.

They raised concerns over the "extra threat" species poses to native insects already under pressure.

The main prey of the Asian hornet is honeybees, with one insect killing up to 50 bees a day, devastating entire colonies.

Researchers examined 1,500 hornet larvae from 103 nests in Jersey, France, Spain and the UK

Researchers identified 1,449 different species which had been fed by adult Asian hornets to their larvae in the nests, more than half of which (55%) could be identified as a specific species.

They found prey included a range of flies, wasps, bees, butterflies, moths and spiders, with honeybees, common wasps and blowflies most commonly found.

Siffreya Pedersen, the study's lead author, said: "Asian hornets were known to prey on honeybees, but until now the full range of their diet had not been tested.

"The diet varied strongly over the seasons and between regions, showing that they are highly flexible predators."

Insects under threat

She said insects played "vital roles in enabling ecosystems to function - including pollination, decomposition and pest control".

"Most insect populations are in decline due to factors such as habitat destruction and chemical pollution," she said.

"The expanding area inhabited by Asian hornets poses an extra threat."