There is a tech ("long range jumps") that allows you to jump directly between any two stars.  It's easier to acquire than the wormhole one, requiring 3 civic labs for TEC/Advent and 2 for Vasari.

Other than this, Vasari have the phase stabilizer structure that enables them to jump between any two "stabilized" gravity wells of their chosing, but this does not work for interstellar jumps.

The only cheats the AI has is a resource cheat on hard and higher and also doesn't actually need to scout.

In maps without wormholes like doppelgangers, that tech is the only way to get to other solar systems actually. Wormholes when present are the hard way to do it but they often lead to important planets directly.

Yeah, but defensively you can put a starbase right on top of where the invading fleet will appear at a wormhole.  I've wiped out someone with a well-placed boombase like this before, and shredded others careless or foolish enough to jump right into the jaws of death.  Unless the back door is completely unguarded, I'll take the front door, thanks.

I won't argue with Darvin that blocking a wormhole isn't easy. An enemy shows up at any moment, but you have your guys blasting away, more so if you have an Akkan to give the starbase some reach. But at the same time you can put 4 starbases around a star and, depending on how many stars are in the game, you can put them pretty close to the arrival point of an enemy force or even near your most valuable phase lane, where you can get the most out of your range and use SC to really chew em up first. If you have just one or two other stars, you can pile up the damage.

In any case, both require you to be ready for a punching match if you plan on assaulting mid-late game, especially against Vasari.

Happy hunting.