220 VESPA NORVE6ICA. 



Mule. — Of the same size and coloration as the worker, but 

 having the antenna' longer than the thorax, and the black fasciae 

 seldom have the lateral hlack points. 



This species is not subject to much variation ; it is undoubt- 

 edly essentially a tree-wasp, but I have once or twice found it 

 inhabiting an underground nest. It is not a very abundant 

 species, but certainly widely distributed. I have observed it to 

 be very partial to the flowers of the Ballota nigra, particularly 

 in situations on or near to the sea-coast. 



6. Vespa Norvegica. 



V. nigra, flavo-varia, villosa ; abdominis segmentis flavo-margi- 

 natis, primo rufo-vario, secundo maculis duabus rufis ( £ ), 

 quandoque ( ? ). 



Vespa Norwegica, Fabr. Spec. Ins. i. 460. 11 ; Ent. Syst. ii. 258. 16; 

 Syst. Piez. 256. 14. 

 ' Fill. Ent. iii. 2/5. 20. 



Oliv. Enc. Me'th. vi. 680. 52. 



Panz. Faun. Germ. 81. 16. 



Zett. Ins. Lapp. 454. 5. 



Herr. Schaff. Faun. Germ. p. 37. 



Smith, Zool. x. 370. 1. 



Sauss. Mon. Gufpes Soc. 128. 8. t. 14. f. 7. 

 Vespa Britannica, Leach, Zool. Miscell. i. 111. t. 50. 1 J , 2 ? , 3 $5 . 



Smith, Zool. i. 169. 5. f. n $ , o ? , p £ . 



Female. Length 8 lines.— Black, pubescent ; the mandibles, 

 clypeus, a transverse spot above, the scape in front, and a stripe 

 behind the eyes towards their summit, yellow ; a black stripe 

 down the middle of the clypeus, anchor-shaped at its apex. 

 Thorax : an oblique line on each side in front of the tegulae, a 

 spot on each side of the scutellum (frequently obsolete;, a spot 

 beneath the wings, the tibiae, tarsi, and tips of the femora, 

 yellow; the body beneath with pale fulvous pubescence. Ab- 

 domen : all the segments with a yellow border at their apical 

 margins; all the borders, except the basal one, with a square 

 united spot on each side, and a minute angular one in the 

 middle ; the yellow borders widened beyond the spot on each 

 side ; the second segment has sometimes a large ferruginous 

 macula or stain on each side at its base. 



Var. a. The flagellum fulvous beneath, a narrow yellow line on 

 the inner orbit of the eyes, two spots on the scutellum, and a 

 red spot on each side of the second segment of the abdomen. 



