Keyhole wasps can threaten aircraft safety

Pachodynerus nasidens on the 3D printed De Haviland Dash-8 pitot probe. Credit: House et al (2020) PLOS ONE, CC BY

Invasive keyhole wasps (Pachodynerus nasidens) at Brisbane airport were responsible for 93 cases of completely blocked replica pitot probes over a period of 39 months, according to a study published November 30 in the open access journal. vital tools that measure speed. PLOS ONE by Alan House of Eco Logical Australia and colleagues. As noted by the authors, the results underscore the importance of risk mitigation strategies, such as covering Pitot probes upon arrival of aircraft and installing additional traps to intercept wasps.

Interactions between aircraft and wildlife are frequent and can have serious financial and safety consequences. But the risk posed by wildlife when planes are on the ground is far less understood, and the specific threats posed by insects have not been quantified before. In the new study, House and his colleagues investigated the possible role of keyhole wasps in obstructing Pitot probes at Brisbane airport. A total of 26 wasp-related problems were reported at the airport between November 2013 and April 2019, along with a number of serious security incidents involving Pitot probes. In its native area in South and Central America and the Caribbean, the wasp is known to build nests using artificial cavities, such as window slots, electrical outlets, and, of course, keyholes.

The researchers used 3D printing technology to build a series of Pitot probe replicas, which they mounted at four locations around the airport. All nests in these probes were made by keyhole wasps and the nesting spike occurred in the summer months. Successful nesting (i.e., the proportion of nests producing live adults) was optimal between 24 and 31 ° C, and probes with apertures over 3 mm in diameter were preferred. Most of the nests were built in an airport area. The proportion of grassy areas within 1000m of probes was a significant predictor of nesting, and nest volume in Pitot probes can determine the sex of emerging wasps. According to the authors, P. nasidens poses a significant risk to aviation safety and further work is warranted to develop strategies for the control or eradication of persistent populations of this adaptable, creative and highly mobile species.

The authors add: “We hope this research brings attention to a little known but serious problem for air travel in tropical and subtropical regions. Having found its way across the Pacific Ocean, there is no reason to doubt that it can spread to other parts of Australia. The consequences of not managing this intelligent but dangerous parasite could be considerable. “

Reference: “Inventive nesting behavior in the keyhole wasp Pachodynerus nasidens Latreille (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in Australia, and the risk to aviation safety” by House APN, Ring JG, Shaw PP (2020), 26 November 2020, PLoS ONE.
DOI: 10.1371 /magazine.places.0242063

Funding: The funder (BAC) provided support in the form of a salary for the authors [APNH, PPS, JGR] and provided access to the airport to conduct the experiment, co-designed the experiment and assisted in monitoring. Qantas (Matthew Hill is a paid employee of Qantas) made significant in-kind (but not financial) contributions to the project through professional advice and access to 3D printing materials and facilities. the funders had no additional role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or manuscript preparation. The specific roles of these authors are detailed in the “contributions of the authors” section.