Dr Xesús Feás and his team are successful in creating a new weapon against the Asian hornet

Dr Xesús Feás is a scientific researcher with a keen interest in the observation of the invasive Vespa velutina var nigrithorax (Lepelletier, 1835) Asian hornet. He has been investigating methods for controlling the species since 2011.​

Dr Xesús Feás showing a recently hatched Asian hornet male

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Vespa velutina sexual pheromone lures

Vespa velutina sexual pheromone lure

Dr Feás​ is pleased to announce that the Vespa velutina sexual pheromones, the 4-oxo-octanoic acid (4-OOA) and the 4-oxo-decanoic acid (4-ODA), were successfully synthetized in Campus Terra (University of Santiago de Compostela) by the team composed by Dr. Xesús Feás, Dr. Prof. Pilar Vázquez-Tato and Dr. Prof. Julio Seijas. The research carried out was funded by Deputación de A Coruña.

Dr Feás a member of The Velutina Task Force of COLOSS Association recently gave a talk at a conference at University degli Studi di Torino on Vespa velutina and other invasive invertebrates species during 21nd and 23rd of March 2019 And most recently a lecture for the British Beekeepers Association at Harper Adams University in Shropshire entitled "The Asian Hornet (Vespa velutina nigrithorax): an exotic predator in Europe. What does the future hold?” on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th April. Where he discussed his work and recent research conducted by Wen, Ping et al. (“The sex pheromone of a globally invasive honey bee predator, the Asian eusocial hornet, Vespa velutina”. 2017. Scientific Reports, 12956, 7) showed evidence for Vespa velutina gyne-produced sex attractant pheromones that mediate attraction of males.  

Dr Feás a member of The Velutina Task Force talking about the Asian hornet in Turin

Xesus Feas giving a lecture at BBKA on the Asian hornet for the British Beekeepers Association at Harper Adams University Picture

What is the Vespa velutina Sex Pheromone Lure? 
It is a rubber dispenser containing the species-specific sex pheromone released by the virgin Vespa velutinagynes (reproductive females).
Sex Pheromone Lure 
Insect pheromones are used as messengers that affect the insect behaviour. One of them are the Sex Pheromones, to attract adults of the opposite sex for mating. Insect pheromone is famous of its high efficiency, non-toxicity, no pollution, no harm insects and other advantages. Pheromones can be used to control different lives phases of pests in the following aspects:
Monitoring: 
Detecting the presence of the mating period, indicating the level of infestation and evaluating the most suitable treatment and application time.
Mass trapping: 
Capturing the highest number of insects in a trap to reduce or eliminate damages caused.
Mating disruption: 
Impeding the encounter between both sexes by creating an atmosphere. In normal mate location, the female releases pheromone and the males flies towards the source. In mating disruption, pheromone is released from dispensers that act as false sources, or pheromone is release at such a high rate that the male is disoriented or unable to detect the plume of the calling female.