760. 



VESPA RUFA. 



The Anchor-faced Wasp. 



Order Hymenoptera. Fam. Vespidae. 



Tyiie of the Genus, Vespa vulgaris Linn. 

 Vespa Linn., Fab., Curt., 8;c. 



Antennae inserted near the middle of the face, remote, longer 

 than the thorax in the males, slightly attenuated to both extre- 

 mities, 13-jointed, basal joint long, hairy, curved, 2nd cup- 

 shaped, 3rd the longest, remainder oblong, apical joint ovate- 

 conic (1 (5^) : not longer than the thorax in the female and neu- 

 ter, 12-jointed, basal and 3rd joints longer, the remainder more 

 quadrate than in the male, apical joint short and conical (1 ? ). 

 Labrum semiovate, w^ith a rigid, linear, ciliated, projecting pro- 

 cess in front (2). 



Mandibles truncated obliquely, denticulated, having 3 teeth (3). 

 Maxilla terminating in a long hairy process, with a smaller 

 subovate trigonate lobe at the apex. Palpi moderate, slender, 

 slightly pubescent and 6-jointed, basal joint slender, clavate, 

 2nd a little stouter, 3rd the largest, longer, obconic, truncated 

 obliquely, 4th and 5th the same shape but smaller, 6th the 

 longest and slenderest, subfusiform (4). 



Mentum oblong, narrowed towards the base. Palpi attached 

 to the anterior angles, tolerably long, pubescent and 4-jointed, 

 elongate-pyriform, 2nd the longest subclavate, 3rd the stoutest, 

 short, obtrigonate, 4th small ovate. Lip large, 4-lobed, the 

 centre a little narrowed and cleft at the apex, with a spreading 

 rounded lobe on each side, with a callous or glandular patch 

 at the apex of each (5). 

 Head transverse, face ovate (R) .• eyes long, notched internally : ocelli 

 3 in triaiigle on the crown. Thorax broader than the head, oval, col- 

 lar bilobed ; scutel large, transverse and semiovate. Abdomen 

 ivith a short petiole attached to the inferior surface of the base 

 which is truncated abruptly, long ovate and 7 -jointed in the male, 

 the apex conical j shorter, broader, and 6-jointed in the female ; an 

 acute stirig in the female and neuter. Wings folding longitudinally ; 

 superior with 1 marginal and 4 submarginal cells. Legs stoutest in 

 the female ; thighs tapering at the apex : tibiae short, hinder the 

 longest, all spurred, anterior withonly one spine: tarsi longish, especi- 

 ally the hinder, 4 anterior a little dilated in the female, 5-jointed, 

 basal joint the longest, 2nd and 3rd obtrigonate or crescent-shaped, 

 4th bifid, 5th clavate : claws and pulvilli moderate. 



RuFA Linn. — Curt. Guide, Gen. 697. 3. 



Wasps, like the hive-bee and ants, live in societies, which 

 consist of three different kinds of individuals, males, females, 

 and neuters or workers. The male wasp has no sting, is as 

 long as the female, but much more slender and elegant in form, 

 and more handsomely marked with black ; the female is the 

 largest sex and armed with a sting, as is also the neuter, 

 which is a miniature likeness of her. 



