Colony energy economics drive invasion hotspots of Vespa velutina in South Korea

Key Points

• To explore how colony energy economics influence the invasion of Vespa velutina in South Korea.
• Emphasized surveillance and removal of high-output colonies in coastal and peri-apiary areas.
• Utilized an energy-aware framework alongside climate-focused models for species distribution.
• Analyzed effectiveness of broad suppression in inland regions.
• Identification of optimal removal strategies for high-output colonies in key areas.
• Establishment of effective surveillance buffers of at least 40 km.
• The energy-aware approach proved beneficial for assessing other eusocial invasive species.

Abstract