Superfamily VESPOIDEA 1519 



Brooklyn Ent. Soc, Bui. 37: 57-61 (brood rearing). —Morse and Gary, 1961. Bee World 42: 

 179-181 (predation on honeybees). — Akre, Hill and MacDonald, 1973. Jour.Econ. Ent. 66: 

 803-805, 4 figs, (artificial housing of colonies). 



Genus VESPULA Subgenus VESPULA Thomson 



Vespula Thomson, 1869. Opusc. Ent., v. 1, p. 79. 



Type-species: Vespa austriaca Panzer. Desig. by Ashmead, 1902. 

 Pseudovespa Schmiedeknecht, 1881. Ent. Nachr. 7: 314. 



Type-species: Vespa austriaca Panzer. Monotypic. 

 Paravesptila Bluethgen, 1938. Konowia 16: 271. 



Type-species: Vespa vulgaris Linnaeus. Orig. desig. 

 Allovespula Bluethgen, 1943. Stettin. Ent. Ztg. 104: 149. 



Type-species: Vespa rufa Linnaeus. Orig. desig. 



Nests are usually underground or close to it in hollow logs or stumps. Combs, except for a 

 small conical area around the main suspensorium, are usually essentially plane. Members of this 

 subgenus are commonly called yellow jackets. 



acadica (Sladen). Transcontinental in Canadian Zone from Newfoundland to Yukon Terr, and 

 Alaska, Maine to Minn., west of 100th meridian south to N. Mex. and Calif. Ecology: 

 Location of nests variable, sometimes aerial, subterranean or in rotten logs. 



Vespa rufa var. americana Buysson, 1905. Soc. Ent. France, Ann. 63: 499. 6. Preocc. 



Vespa acadica Sladen, 1918. Ottawa Nat. 32: 72. 6, 9, 5. 



Vespida rufa sladeni Bequaert, 1931. Ent. Amer. (n. s.) 12: 102. 6, 9, 5. 



Biology: Sladen, 1918. Ottawa Nat. 32: 72 (nest site). —MacDonald, Akre and Hill, 1975. 

 Kans. Ent. Soc, Jour. 48: 114-121 (nest location and structure). 

 atropilosa (Sladen). Canada and U. S. west of 100th meridian mostly in Canadian and 



Transition Zones; Mexico (Baja California). Ecology: Most nests are subterranean and 

 usually in rodent burrows. Parasite: Sphecophaga vesparum hurra (Cr.); Triphleba 

 lugubris (Meig.). 

 Vespa atropilosa Sladen, 1918. Ottawa Nat. 22: 72. 9, 0. 



Biology: MacDonald, Akre and Hill, 1974. Melanderia 18: 1-93, 13 figs, (comparative biology 



and behavior). —MacDonald, Akre and Hill, 1975. Kans. Ent. Soc, Jour. 48: 53-63 (nest 



associates). —MacDonald, Akre and Hill, 1975. Kans. Ent. Soc, Jour. 48: 114-121, 2 figs. 



(nest location and structure). 

 austriaca (Panzer). Que., Ont., Man., Sask., Alta., B. C, N. W. T., Alaska, Maine, N. Y., N. J., 

 Colo., N. Mex., Utah, Calif., Oreg., Wash., Idaho; Holarctic Host: Inquiline in nests of 

 rufa (L.) in Europe; North American host(s) unknown. The worker caste is absent. 



Vespa austriaca Panzer, 1799. Faunae Ins. German., h. 63, pi. 2. 6. 



Vespa borealis Smith, 1843. Zoologist 1: 170. 9. Preocc. 



Vespa arborea Smith, 1849. Zoologist 7, App., p. Ix. N. name. 



Vespa infemalis Saussure, 1853. Etudes sur la famille des Vespides, v. 2, p. 139. 9. 



Vespa tripunctata Packard, 1870. Chicago Acad. Sci., Trans. 2: 26. 9. 

 consobrina (Saussure). Transcontinental in Canada and northern U. S. in Canadian and 

 Transition Zones, W. Va., N. C, Ga., Colo., N. Mex., Ariz., Calif. Ecology: Nests are 

 usually subterranean, but occasionally are in shrubs just above the ground surface. 



Vespa consobrina Saussure, 1864. Etudes sur la famille des Vespides, v. 2, p. 141. 5 . 



Vespa scelesta McFarland, 1888. Amer. Ent. Soc, Trans. 15: 298. 6, 9, 5. 



Vespa sulcata Howard, 1901. Insect Book, pi. 6, fig. 18. 5 . 



Biology: Dow, 1930. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., Bui. 56: 12, 1 fig. (nest). 

 germanica (Fabricius). N. Y., N. J., Pa., Del, Md.; Europe. Ecology: Nests in sheltered 



situations, frequently in structures. Adventive from Europe, apparently m mid-20th 

 century. References to taxonomy, biology and morphology of the Palaearctic population 

 will be found in Guigha, 1973 (1972), Les Guepes Sociales d'Europe Occidental et 

 Septentrionale, vol. 6 of Faune de I'Europe et du Bassin Mediterraneen. 

 Vespa Germanica Fabricius, 1793. Ent. System., v. 2, p. 256. 



