THE GENUS VESPA IN CANADA. 

 Key to the Species. 



By F. W. L. Sladen, Apiarist, Dominion Experimental Farms, Ottawa. 



The wasps of Canada, the word "wasp" being 

 used in its strictest sense to include only the genus 

 "Vespa," fall into four groups: the Norvegica 

 Group, the Carolina Group, the Vulgaris Group, 

 and the Rufa Group. 



Four new forms are described in this paper, 

 but how far they run into existing forms only 

 extensive collecting and especially the taking of nests 

 will show. In several cases, there is a dark northern 

 form closely related to a yellow southern form. 



1. Eyes not nearly reaching to mandibles, saggitae 

 not fused together at the tip (Norvegica group) 2 

 Eyes touching or nearly touching mandibles- _6 



Norvegica Group. 



2. Large species (female length about 21 mm.), 



maculations white, not yellow, flagellum testa- 

 ceous beneath, segments I and 2 entirely black, 

 male 2061, female 2060, maculata L. 

 N. S. to B. C. Makes aerial nest, constructing 

 entrance tube when first workers are maturing. 

 This is the well-known "Black hornet." 



Regular size (female length about 17 mm.), 

 segments 1 and 2 nearly always striped more 

 or less 3 



3. Markings yellow 4 



Markings white 5 



4. Yellow band on segment I wider, interrupted 



or almost so in middle, small black spot or spots 

 on clypeus, antennae testaceous beneath, inner 

 angle of stipes rectangular or acute, its hair 

 shorter and denser. 



male 2064, female 2063, diabolica Sauss. 



Very common, N.S. to B.C., to 5000 ft. in 

 southern B.C. 



Yellow band on segment 1 narrow, uninter- 

 rupted, clypeus divided by a black line, wid- 

 ened in middle, male antennae black beneath, 

 inner angle of stipes obtuse, its hair longer and 

 less dense. 



male 2186, female 2187, norvegicoides n. sp. 



N.S. to B.C. Near to diabolica and the 

 European species norvegica L. 



5. No red spots on segment 2, stipes black, inner 

 side strongly angled and margined with moder- 

 ate amount of pale hair. 



male 2065, female 2062, arclica Rohw. 



( ^borealis Lewis^ 



N.S. to B.C., not common. Only males and 



females known. Parasitic in nests of V. 



diabolica. 



Segment 2 with lateral red spot, stipes pale, 



slender, inner side not angled, clothed with 



dense yellow hair. 



male 2077, neuter, albida n.sp. 

 Alaska. 



Carolina Group. 

 6. Dorsum with two (or four) longitudinal yellow 

 stipes; female abdomen ochreous and black, 

 neuter yellow and black. 



female 4015, Carolina Sauss. 

 Point Pelee, Ont. (Taverner). 

 Dorsum entirely black, or (in occidenialis only) 

 with two small spots, markings yellow or 



white 7 



Hairs on segment 1 pale, saggitae fused to- 

 gether at tip, forming a spoon with slender stem. 



(Vulgaris group) __8 



Hairs on segment 1 black, saggitae fused to- 

 gether, forming a subtruncate club. 



(Rufa group) -_9 



Vulgaris Group. 



8. Scape yellow in front in female and neuter; 

 male has the surface of segment 7 concave, 

 saggital piece not armed with thorns, slightly 

 emarginate at tip, inner tooth of stipes truncate, 

 male 4016, female 2069, occidenialis Cr. 

 Lethbridge, Alta., to Victoria, B.C. 

 Scape entirely black in female and neuter ; male 

 has a transverse declivity on segment 7, a long 

 thorn on either side of base of terminal swelling 

 of saggital piece, inner tooth of stipes pointed, 

 male 2188, neuter 2071, communis Sauss. 8a. 

 Common in eastern Canada. Makes under- 

 ground nest. 



8a. More extensively black. Clypeus with black 

 Hne. Pronotal yellow stripe narrower, black 

 spots on abdominal segments fused into the 

 wider basal bands. 



female 2070, var. communis Sauss. 

 More northern range. Probably only a melanic 

 variety. 



More extensively yellow. Clypeus with small 

 black spots, pronotal stripe wider. Black spots 

 on abdominal segments free from the narrower 

 basal bands. 



female 2170 var. flavida n.n. 



{=pennsylvanica of authors) 

 More southern range. 



