Social wasps in Spain: the who and where

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to list the social vespids occurring in Spain, determine their presence in each region, and correlate the data with the vespids responsible for allergic reactions and their progression over time. Methods: Insects distribution data were collected in two phases: from the southern half of Spain (2008–2012), and from the northern half of Spain (2016–2019). Data for the vespids were collected from the prescriptions of Hymenoptera venom immunotherapy (HVIT) at six Spanish hospitals in the years 2009 and 2019. Results: Polistes dominula and Vespula germanica were the most widely distributed species. Vespa velutina was found to be present in a large part of northern Spain. During the 10 year period, the prescriptions of vespid VIT increased by 42.63%. The north of Spain saw a 3.61 fold greater predominance of prescriptions for Vespula (to some extent influenced by Vespa velutina allergy) whereas in central and southern Spain, there was a 3.97 fold greater predominance of prescriptions for Polistes. Conclusions: It is the first study that compares the vespid distribution maps with VIT prescription. A noteworthy finding is the wide presence of Polistes dominula and Vespula germanica in Spain and the appearance of Vespa velutina allergy in the northern part of the country. Data of HVIT prescriptions reflect inter-regional variability with the predominance of Vespula (due to Vespula and Vespa) in the north and that of Polistes in the center and south of Spain.