"Almost every week we have identified or received information from our residents about potential new cases of velutina wasp nests, which we have quickly destroyed," says Duarte Novo, president of the municipality of Aveiro.

The mayor assures that the municipality has been able to "respond in verification" to the complaints of citizens, since not all nests that are reported are of velutina wasps.

In the area of ??Oliveira do Bairro, the detection or suspicion of nests or specimens of the velutina wasp should be reported to the City Council, through the contacts 234 732 100 / geral@cm-olb.pt, or to the Junta de Freguesia.

Until now, the nests found in the municipality of Oliveira do Bairro were mostly located in trees, although some were also identified in buildings.

Velutina wasp is an Asian species characteristic of tropical and subtropical regions from northern India to eastern China, Indochina and the Indonesian archipelago, and has been reported since 2011 in northern Portugal.

The velutina wasp is distinguished from the European species Vespa crabro by the coloration of the abdomen, which is predominantly black in colour, unlike the European one, where the yellow colour prevails.

The Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests has alerted to the authorities of the presence of this non-indigenous species, especially in beekeeping, as it is a carnivorous and predatory species of bees.

The Asian wasp also poses a threat to public health, reacting very aggressively when it senses threatened nests, "including stalking up to a few hundred meters."