1982] Reed & Akre — Vespula austraica and V. aeadiea 189 
Figure 2. The sting shaft of three social parasites and one host species ( V. acadica). 
The sting shaft of V. austriaca is larger and curved (A) as compared to the smaller, 
straight shaft of the host queen (B). In V. austriaca the distal tip of the stylet is 
distinctly curved (C, upper right) unlike the distal end of the stylet in V. acadica (D). 
The facultative, social parasite, V. squamosa, does not have a curved sting shaft, but 
it is sharply bent at the distal end (E). The other Nearctic inquiline, D. arctica, also 
has a recurved sting (F). The measurements are given in microns. 
