New Delhi, April 14 -- Invasive Asian hornets - Vespa velutina - have established a foothold in Britain, posing a severe threat to native pollinators, particularly honeybees.

Measuring around 25mm long with distinctive yellow legs and a black velvety thorax, these predators can decimate insect populations, with a single colony capable of killing up to 90,000 pollinators in a season.

As their name suggests, Asian hornets are not naturally found in Europe. Interestingly, experts believe the current European population of the Asian hornets descended from a lone fertilised queen that arrived in France through a shipment of Chinese pottery in 2004, with the species now present across 15 European nations - Britain included.

First officiall...