MSc

2.º CICLO FCUP

2020 world: systematic a review The The invasionof Yellow The invasion of

Yellow-legged - legged around thelegged Hornet around the world: a systematic

review Cristina Gonçalves Lima Cristina Gonçalves Lima Master’s thesis presented to Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto in Biodiversity, Genetics and Evolution 2020

The invasion of Yellow-legged Hornet around the world: a systematic review Cristina Gonçalves Lima Master in Biodiversity, Genetics and Evolution Department of Biology 2020

Supervisor Joana Raquel Silva Vicente, Post-Doc Researcher, Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources & Faculty of Sciences of the Porto University

Co-supervisors Ana Sofia Lino Vaz, Post-Doc Researcher, Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources & Associated Laboratory, Porto University and The Inter-University Institute for Earth System Research, Granada University

João José Pradinho Honrado, Assistant Professor, Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources & Faculty of Sciences of the Porto University

Todas as correções determinadas pelo júri, e só essas, foram efetuadas.

O Presidente do Júri,

Porto, ______/______/______

FCUP i The invasion of Yellow-legged Hornet around the world: a systematic review

Acknowledgements

This year has definitely been a wild ride worldwide. With so much going on, I’m truly grateful to the people that kept me grounded and helped me produce this thesis. To them I dedicate this note.

I want to start by expressing my deepest gratitude to Joana Raquel Silva Vicente and Ana Sofia Lino Vaz. It was a pleasure working with you this past year. Above all, thank you for your teachings, time, patience, ambition, and support. Thank you for always being lively, enthusiastic, and energetic. You helped me to grow scientifically and personally and to always seek improvement.

I’m also grateful to João José Pradinho Honrado, for the guidance, valuable insights, constructive criticism, and especially, for piquing my interest in biological invasions in the first place.

I want to thank all the ECOCHANGE researchers, for all the advice given and the great environment in the workplace.

My Master colleagues, I am glad to share this journey with you all. Thank you for the help and for sharing the same doubts, fears, and problems.

An obvious and loving thanks to my parents, for all the support, education, affection, and for always believing in me. To my mother, for being the first person to show me how interesting biology is. To my father, for always believing and supporting my decisions unconditionally.

I’m also extremely grateful to the rest of my family, for always taking an interest even when you do not understand what I am talking about, for your support and affection, and for your backyards where I can search for (and find!) Yellow-legged to photograph.

Finally, I want to thank my boyfriend and my friends, for the help, the love and for distracting me when I needed to be distracted.

I extend my thanks to all the people who in one way or another have contributed to this thesis.

Thank you all!

FCUP ii The invasion of Yellow-legged Hornet around the world: a systematic review

FCUP iii The invasion of Yellow-legged Hornet around the world: a systematic review

FCUP iv The invasion of Yellow-legged Hornet around the world: a systematic review

Abstract

The Yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina nigrithorax du Buysson) is an invasive alien species (IAS) that was introduced in , South Korea, and Japan. This hornet was included in the “Union list” of the EU legislation for invasive alien species due to its impacts in biodiversity, economy, and human health. As a result, this study reviews the invasion status of V. velutina nigrithorax t