53 



WASPS AT WEST AYTON, YORKS. 



Rev. W. C. HEY, M.A. 



Of the seven British species of Vespa, six occur in Yorkshire. 

 It has often been stated that the Hornet (V. crabro) is a York- 

 shire insect, but this mistake is probably due to the fact that 

 the country people generally call the Tree-wasps, Hornets.* 

 Of the six Yorkshire species of Vespa, five are more or less 

 common at West Ayton, but I have failed so far to detect 

 V. austriaca, an inquiline species, parasitic on V. rufa. 



Vespa vulgaris L. 



The commonest wasp, which so often enters our houses in 

 search of sweets. The queens were singularly abundant in 

 April 1908, and often came to an old summer-house in my 

 garden to gnaw wood for their nests. 



Vespa germanica Fab. 



This wasp also often enters houses, and is very common. 

 The queens, of which I observed an extraordinary quantity at 

 West Ayton during the spring of 1908, are very large and 

 handsome insects, and it is a beautiful and interesting sight to 

 watch them performing their toilet in April sunshine. The most 

 trustworthy distinction between V. vulgaris and V. germanica 

 is in the shape of the yellow lines upon the thorax. In vul- 

 garis, these lines are parallel-sided, in germanica, they have a 

 decided tendency to flow outwards. The black markings on 

 the clypeus and abdomen have been made too much of as 

 specific distinctions. 



Vespa rufa L., sometimes called the ' Anchor-faced ' wasp. 



This wasp is fond of flowers, and was especially attached to 

 species of Centaurea in my garden. It also affected Cotoneaster, 

 Symphorio carpus , and Pyrus japonica. 



Vespa sylvestris Scop. 



This species and V. norvegica are structurally very distinct 

 irom the three former species, as they possess a long cheek 

 between the eye and the mandible. V. sylvestris seldom comes 

 near houses. Its favourite plant is the Figwort. In the 

 ' carrs ' below Ayton is a ditch, thickly bordered with Figwort, 

 and here this wasp abounded. In September, the male 



* Vespa crabro, Mr. W. D. Roebuck says (Victoria. History of Yorkshire, 

 vol. i., p. 217), has undoubtedly occurred in Yorkshire at York, near Wake- 

 field, and at Beverley. — G.T.P. 



1909 February i. 



