The invasive hornet: Media discourses on Vespa velutina and implications for its management

Abstract

The yellow-legged hornet Vespa velutina Lepetelier, 1836 spread rapidly throughout Europe after its arrival in France two decades ago. It was first detected in Galicia in 2012 and in Asturias in 2014, and both areas are particularly affected by this species. Its expansion has raised social concern due to its impact on beekeeping, as well as the ecological, economic and human health impacts attributed to it. In this paper we explore the connection between the evolution of the invasion and the press news and social interest in the species in 2019 and 2020. We explore also the influence of the biological cycle on news coverage and compare the discourse constructed on V. velutina in Galician and Asturian press media. Likewise, we assess the response mechanisms that the press of these autonomous communities appeal to and the strategies they advocate in the framework of the available scientific literature. Results show a noticeably more belligerent discourse in the Galician than in the Asturian press, which in both cases aim at decimating the population of V. velutina, an unrealistic objective with potential adverse effects that can lead to environmental damage.