Aerial Yellowjackets

Dolichovespula · Langkopwespen

Wikipedia article

Aerial Yellowjackets

Dolichovespula is a small genus of social wasps distributed widely throughout the Northern Hemisphere. The yellow and black members of the genus are known by the common name yellowjackets in North America, such as Dolichovespula norwegica, along with members of their sister genus Vespula. In a study on the nesting biology of Dolichovespula, a colony of D. maculata with 771 workers was reported as having the largest recorded population count.

Overview

Several morphological differences distinguish them from Vespula. The most noticeable is the long face (dolikhos = "long" in Greek). Viewed from the front, Dolichovespula faces are long, while Vespula faces are short and round. The oculomalar space, the distance between the eye and the mandible, is long in Dolichovespula and short in Vespula. Dolichovespula nests are usually aerial, while Vespula spp. often nest underground.

Reproduction

All females are born with reproductive capacities. Dolichovespula is different from its sister group Vespula in that some of the workers create haploid offspring that develop into males.

Species and subspecies

These species/subspecies are recognised: Dolichovespula adulterina (Buysson, 1905) – parasitic yellowjacket Dolichovespula adulterina montivaga Sk. Yamane, 1982 – parasitic yellowjacket (subspecies of D. adulterina) Dolichovespula alpicola Eck 1984 – Rocky Mountain aerial yellowjacket Dolichovespula arctica Rohwer 1916 – parasitic yellowjacket (not a subspecies of D. adulterina) Dolichovespula arenaria (Fabricius, 1775) – aerial yellowjacket Dolichovespula asiatica Archer, 1981 Dolichovespula baileyi Archer, 1987 Dolichovespula carolina (Linnaeus, 1767) Dolichovespula flora Archer, 1987 Dolichovespula kuami Kim, 1996 Dolichovespula lama (Buysson, 1903) Dolichovespula maculata (Linnaeus, 1763) – bald-faced hornet Dolichovespula media (Retz., 1783) – median wasp Dolichovespula norvegicoides (Sladen, 1918) – northern aerial yellowjacket Dolichovespula norwegica (Fabricius 1781) – Norwegian wasp Dolichovespula omissa (Bischoff, 1931) – parasitic yellowjacket Dolichovespula pacifica (Birula, 1930) Dolichovespula panda Archer, 1980 Dolichovespula saxonica (Fabricius, 1793) – Saxon wasp Dolichovespula stigma Lee 1986 Dolichovespula sylvestris (Scopoli, 1763) – tree wasp Dolichovespula sylvestris sumptuosa (Buysson, 1905) (subspecies of D. sylvestris) Dolichovespula xanthicincta Archer, 1980