Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-based Autonomous Tracking System for Invasive Flying Insects

The Asian hornet or yellow-legged hornet, Vespa velutina nigrithorax, is a global predator of honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) that has become widespread owing to rapid climate change. Herein, we propose a localization system for tracking radio-tagged hornets and discovering hornet hives by combining unmanned aerial vehicles with a trilateration system. By leveraging the homing instinct of hornets, we systematically structured our experiments as a behavioral experiment, ground-truth experiment, and localization experiment. According to the experimental results, we successfully discovered the hives of two of the five hornets tested. Additionally, a comprehensive analysis of the experimental outcomes provided insights into hornet flight patterns and behaviors. The results of this research demonstrate the efficacy of integrating UAVs with radio telemetry for precision object tracking and ecosystem management, offering a robust tool for mitigating the impacts of invasive species on honeybee populations.