Using ecological niche modeling to model invasion risk of hornets (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in Iran
Background: Among the 22 species in the Vespa genus, five have successfully established populations outside their native ranges, while four others have been recorded either in natural habitats or during border inspections in various countries. This study aims to assess the potential threat posed by...
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The Ecological Society of Korea
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Ecology and Environment |
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| Online Access: | http://www.e-jecoenv.org/journal/view.html?doi=10.5141/jee.24.071 |
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| author | Ehsan Rahimi Chuleui Jung |
| author_facet | Ehsan Rahimi Chuleui Jung |
| author_sort | Ehsan Rahimi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Among the 22 species in the Vespa genus, five have successfully established populations outside their native ranges, while four others have been recorded either in natural habitats or during border inspections in various countries. This study aims to assess the potential threat posed by 12 hornet species-Vespa crabro, Vespa mandarinia, Vespa simillima, Vespa velutina, Vespa affinis, Vespa analis, Vespa basalis, Vespa bicolor, Vespa ducalis, Vespa dybowskii, Vespa soror, and Vespa tropica-within the geographical and ecological context of Iran, an arid Middle Eastern country. Using ecological niche modeling, we analyzed species occurrence data alongside climatic variables with minimal correlation to predict the potential distribution of these hornets across Iran. The mobility-oriented parity method was applied to identify areas where strict extrapolation is relevant for these species. Additionally, we generated a habitat suitability map for Apis mellifera (honey bee) using ecological niche modeling and compared the spatial overlap between the predicted risk maps for the hornets and the honey bee habitat suitability map, employing Schoener's D metric. Results: The results revealed two key findings. First, a significant portion of Iran exhibits climatic dissimilarity compared to the native habitats of certain hornet species. Second, the spatial overlap analysis showed varying degrees of overlap between A. mellifera habitats and the potential distributions of different hornet species. Notably, V. mandarinia and V. crabro demonstrated the highest overlap values (D = 0.68), suggesting that these hornets could share substantial habitat preferences or ecological roles with honey bees in Iran. Conclusions: Although most regions of Iran appear less suitable for hornet invasions, caution is warranted in the northern areas, where trade and exchanges could serve as pathways for Vespa hornet introductions. These findings highlight the importance of targeted monitoring and preventative measures in these high-risk regions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-80ecf5a364df4d50a9c4d3898a7c59af |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2287-8327 2288-1220 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | The Ecological Society of Korea |
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| series | Journal of Ecology and Environment |
| spelling | doaj-art-80ecf5a364df4d50a9c4d3898a7c59af2025-01-17T08:13:15ZengThe Ecological Society of KoreaJournal of Ecology and Environment2287-83272288-12202025-01-014910.5141/jee.24.071jee.24.071Using ecological niche modeling to model invasion risk of hornets (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in IranEhsan Rahimi0Chuleui Jung1Agricultural Science and Technology Institute, Andong National University, Andong 36729, Republic of KoreaAgricultural Science and Technology Institute, Andong National University, Andong 36729, Republic of KoreaBackground: Among the 22 species in the Vespa genus, five have successfully established populations outside their native ranges, while four others have been recorded either in natural habitats or during border inspections in various countries. This study aims to assess the potential threat posed by 12 hornet species-Vespa crabro, Vespa mandarinia, Vespa simillima, Vespa velutina, Vespa affinis, Vespa analis, Vespa basalis, Vespa bicolor, Vespa ducalis, Vespa dybowskii, Vespa soror, and Vespa tropica-within the geographical and ecological context of Iran, an arid Middle Eastern country. Using ecological niche modeling, we analyzed species occurrence data alongside climatic variables with minimal correlation to predict the potential distribution of these hornets across Iran. The mobility-oriented parity method was applied to identify areas where strict extrapolation is relevant for these species. Additionally, we generated a habitat suitability map for Apis mellifera (honey bee) using ecological niche modeling and compared the spatial overlap between the predicted risk maps for the hornets and the honey bee habitat suitability map, employing Schoener's D metric. Results: The results revealed two key findings. First, a significant portion of Iran exhibits climatic dissimilarity compared to the native habitats of certain hornet species. Second, the spatial overlap analysis showed varying degrees of overlap between A. mellifera habitats and the potential distributions of different hornet species. Notably, V. mandarinia and V. crabro demonstrated the highest overlap values (D = 0.68), suggesting that these hornets could share substantial habitat preferences or ecological roles with honey bees in Iran. Conclusions: Although most regions of Iran appear less suitable for hornet invasions, caution is warranted in the northern areas, where trade and exchanges could serve as pathways for Vespa hornet introductions. These findings highlight the importance of targeted monitoring and preventative measures in these high-risk regions.http://www.e-jecoenv.org/journal/view.html?doi=10.5141/jee.24.071ecological niche modelinghornetsinvasive speciesiranmobility-oriented parity |
| spellingShingle | Ehsan Rahimi Chuleui Jung Using ecological niche modeling to model invasion risk of hornets (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in Iran Journal of Ecology and Environment ecological niche modeling hornets invasive species iran mobility-oriented parity |
| title | Using ecological niche modeling to model invasion risk of hornets (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in Iran |
| title_full | Using ecological niche modeling to model invasion risk of hornets (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in Iran |
| title_fullStr | Using ecological niche modeling to model invasion risk of hornets (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in Iran |
| title_full_unstemmed | Using ecological niche modeling to model invasion risk of hornets (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in Iran |
| title_short | Using ecological niche modeling to model invasion risk of hornets (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in Iran |
| title_sort | using ecological niche modeling to model invasion risk of hornets hymenoptera vespidae in iran |
| topic | ecological niche modeling hornets invasive species iran mobility-oriented parity |
| url | http://www.e-jecoenv.org/journal/view.html?doi=10.5141/jee.24.071 |
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