To identify viruses and compare their abundance levels in the venom glands of hymenopteran species, we conducted venom gland-specific transcriptome assemblies and analyses of 22 Aculeate bees and wasps and identified the RNA genomes of picornaviruses. Additionally, we investigated the expression patterns of viruses in the venom glands over time following capture. Honeybee-infecting viruses, including black queen cell virus (BQCV), deformed wing virus (DWV), and Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV), were highly expressed in the venom glands of Apis mellifera and social wasps. This finding suggests that the venoms of bees and wasps likely contain these viruses, which can be transmitted horizontally between species through their stinger usage. A. mellifera exhibited an increasing pattern of abundance levels for BQCV, DWV, IAPV, and Triatovirus, while the social wasp Vespa crabro showed increasing abundance levels of IAPV and Triatovirus over different capture periods. This suggests that the venom glands of honeybees and wasps may provide suitable conditions for active viral replication and may be an organ for virus accumulation and transmission. Some viral sequences clearly reflected the phylogeny of Aculeate species, implying host-specific virus evolution. On the other hand, other viruses exhibited unique evolutionary patterns of phylogeny, possibly caused by specific ecological interactions. Our study provides insights into the composition and evolutionary properties of viral genes in the venom glands of certain Aculeate bees and wasps, as well as the potential horizontal transmission of these viruses among bee and wasp species.

Over four years (2020–2023), 305 traps were strategically placed across South Korea to collect data on Vespidae species. Our findings showed that Vespula flaviceps, Vespa crabro, and Vespula koreensis were the most frequently encountered species. Vespa velutina was also widespread, suggesting its successful integration into local ecosystems. The ARL analysis, using the “apriori” algorithm, identified significant co-occurrence patterns and potential interactions. The rules generated indicated both competitive and coexistent relationships with varying levels of association strength across different regions. Clustering analyses, including hierarchical and k-means clustering, grouped species based on their occurrence similarities. The distinct clusters formed in the analysis highlighted the unique ecological roles and interactions of V. velutina and other Vespidae species in South Korean ecosystems.

우리나라에 서식하는 주요 말벌류는 벌목(Hymenoptera)의 말벌아과(Vespinae)에 속하는 종들로 10종의 말벌속 (Vespa) 중 8종[장수말벌(V. mandarinia), 꼬마장수말벌(V. ducalis), 등검은말벌(V. velutina nigrithorax), 좀말 벌(V. analis), 말벌(V. crabro flavofasciata), 검정말벌(V. dybowskii), 털보말벌(V. simillima simillima), 황말벌 (V. simillima xanthoptera)]이 주를 이루고 있다. 특히 2003년 부산에서 처음 발견되었던 등검은말벌이 급속도로 확산되어 우리나라 양봉산업에 치명적인 피해를 주고 있는 현실이다. 이에 본 연구는 충남 주요 양봉지역인 공주, 청양, 논산에서 말벌 유인액을 주입한 포획기를 이용하여 4월부터 6월까지 봄철 출현하는 여왕말벌의 포획된 말벌 류 개체들을 조사하여 분포도와 특성을 알아보았다. 말벌 포획 개체수 조사결과, 등검은말벌의 분포율이 공주 76.3%, 청양 74.1%, 논산 58.0%로 가장 큰 비율을 보였으며, 꼬마장수말벌이 다음으로 공주와 청양지역은 밤나무 숲으로 12.4~16.0%를 보였던 반면, 소나무 숲을 이룬 논산에서는 31.8%로 최대 2.5배 정도 높은 분포 비율을 나타냈 다. 그리고 장수말벌은 5.2~8.6%의 분포율을 보였으며, 다른 지역보다 해발이 높았던 청양지역에서 장수말벌이 많게 조사되었다. 봄철 3개 지역에서 포획된 여왕말벌류의 총개체수(266마리)에 대한 평균 분포 비율은 등검은말 벌 69.5%, 꼬마장수말벌 19.9%, 장수말벌 6.8%, 말벌 2.6%, 그리고 좀말벌 1.1% 순으로 조사되었다.

송충살이고치벌아과의 Aleiodes의 미기록종 4종(A. lipwigi, A. guidaae, A. subemarginatus, A. caprinus)을 국내 최초로 보고한다. 본 연구에 선 종의 동정을 위한 진단, 분포, 삽화 및 DNA 바코드 서열을 제공한다.

깡충좀벌과에 속하는 Neastymachus japonicus (Tachikawa,1970)와 Boucekiella depressa Hoffer, 1954 2종을 한국에서 처음으로 보고한다. 본 종의 기술, 분포, 삽화를 수록한다

Phaedrotoma속은 주로 과실파리과, 혹파리과, 물가파리과, 꽃파리과, 똥파리과, 초파리과의 유충에 기생을 하는 고치벌로 한국에는 12종이 기록되어 있다. 본 조사연구 결과로 Phaedrotoma rugulifera와 Phaedrotoma vermiculifera 2종을 국내 최초로 보고한다. 이들의 표본은 쓸어잡기로 채집되었다. 두 종의 기술과 진단형질도판을 수록한다.

맵시벌상과에 속하는 Testudobracon pleuralis Ashmead, 1906, Diadromus subtilicornis Gravenhorst 1829 2속 및 2종을 한국에서 처음으로 보고한다. 본 종의 형태진단, 분포, 삽화를 수록한다.

Two species in Monochamus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) are wellknown vector species of the pine wood nematode (PWN) in South Korea. In 2018, the surveys using sentinel logs with two Monochamus species larvae were made from early June to last September in Pinus densiflora forests of Pohang city, South Korea. The experiments were repeated 10 times in order to investigate parasitism patterns of the larval parasitoids of M. saltuarius and M. alternatus. Three plots were chose at interval distance of 20 m (0 m, 20 m, 40 m) from the edge to the center of the forests (i.e. forest depths) in one damage area of the pine wilt disease for each of three different locations. For each time of the exposure ten sentinel logs were hung along the tree heights (i.e. sentinel logs positions) (height: 0 m, 1.8 m, 3.6 m, 5.4 m, 7.2 m). As the results of the surveys six larval parasitoids in total were identified, and most abundant parasitoids were Spathius verustus and Cynopterus flavator. Analyses showed that the parasitism rate on larvae of two Monochamus species was not affected according to forest depth, but the parasitism rate was the highest in the third plot. Also the parasitism rate was the highest at 5.4 m height of a tree. Lastly, parasitisms rate on M. alternatus was higher than that of M. saltuarius.