H. W. LEWIS. 169 



VKSPIIV^ OF THE IJNITEO STATES AXD CAIVADA. 



BY H. W. LEWIS, B. S. 



In the preparation of this paper I have folh)vved the classification 

 of M. de Saussure in his "Synopsis of the American Wasps," 1875, 

 which has also been adoj)ted by Dalla Torre in his " Catalogus Hy- 

 menopteroruin," 1894. Both of these gentlemen regarded this 

 group of insects of subfamily value, while Mr. Cresson, in his 

 "Synopsis of the Hymenoptera of America, North of Mexico," 

 considered it of family rank. 



I take this opportunity of expressing my thanks to Prof. Fernald, 

 in whose laboratory, and under whose direction, this paper was pre- 

 pared during my senior year at the Massachusetts Agricultural 

 College ; and also to Messrs. Cresson, Skinner and Fox for their 

 advice and assistance while studying the Vespiuiie in the collection 

 of the American Entomological Society. I also wish to thank Prof. 

 Lintner for the loan of his entire collection of these insects for study ; 

 Mr. Henshaw, for the opportunity of examining the collection in 

 the Museum of Comparative Zoology ; and Mrs. Fernald, for valu- 

 able assis ance in translating. 



The species found in this subfamily are common to nearly every 

 part of the world, and are very numerous in individuals, especially 

 in the warmer climates. The Vespinie of the world are divided 

 into nineteen genera, but so far as is now known only three of these 

 — Vespa, Folistes and Polybia are found in our territory. 



General Habits. 



The Vespinse are social insects, having three forms of individuals 

 in a colony — males, females and workers. They are natural paper 

 makers, manufacturing their paper from small fibres which they 

 detach, by means of their strong mandibles, from the surface of 

 wood exposed to the weather. They mix these fibres with a fluid 

 substance from their mouths and work them into thin sheets to form 

 the cells and coverings of their nests. The ])aper made in this way 

 is quite tough and weather proof. The inner cells are hexagonal, 

 while those near the outer edge are more or less circular. The num- 



TRANS. AM. ENT. SOC. XXIV. (22) JUNE, 1897. 



