Narrative

Vespinae Subfamily contains the yellow jackets and the hornets. Females in this subfamily can inflict a painful sting. In the United States there is one native genus called Vespula. Some authors break this genus into two subgenera: Vespula and Dolichovespula. The European Vespa crabo is also found in the eastern United States.

Following is a list of the United States species in this subfamily(* means pictured):

SPECIES - - - - - - - - - - RANGE
Vespa crabo* - Eastern USA (a European import)
Dolichovespula albida - Northern Canada
Dolichovespula artica - Canada & USA in mountains
Dolichovespula arenaria* - Canada & northern USA
Dolichovespula maculata* - Canada & eastern USA
Dolichovespula norvegiocoides - Canada & USA in mountains

Vespula acadica - Canada & northern USA
Vespula atropilosa - West of Continental Divide
Vespula austriaca - Canada and western USA
Vespula consobrina - Canada and USA in mountains
Vespula intermedia - Northern Canada and Alaska
Vespula vidua* - Midwest and east USA
Vespula squamosa* - Mid/eastern USA and eastern Mexico
Vespula sulphurea - California
Vespula flavopilosa* - Mid/eastern USA
Vespula germanica* - Eastern USA (Introduced)
Vespula maculifrons* - Central and eastern USA
Vespula pensylvanica* - West of Continental Divide in USA
Vespula vulgaris* - Canada & northern USA and mountains

Many of the above species are commonly called yellowjackets. Although yellow jackets normally prey upon other insects, they also are frequent scavengers. Often they become so common that they are a serious problem for humans. There are also documented cases of these wasps being so thick in fruit groves that normal fruit picking was impossible. Control during the fall seems difficult and only a preplanned attack in the spring by a variety of traps when their numbers are small seems effective.

The United States Agricultural Department has published a booklet on these creatures that is useful for farmers, picnic grove owners, and anybody trying to identify or control the various species. It is handbook #552 entitled: The Yellow Jackets of America North of Mexico, Akre, Greene, et al.

The species in the yellow jacket group are difficult to separate because individuals in a population are somewhat variable. The shape of the various yellow bars on the abdomen in conjunction with other features is one key. Of particular interest is the shape of the abdominal pattern nearest the thorax. A study of the two pictured specimens of Vespula flavopilosa will show that the pattern can be quite different in a single species.

The various species usually exhibit a complex social structure with queens, workers, and drones. Typically, the queen is the only one to overwinter, and she begins the new nest in the spring. Her first young are additional females that help build the nest and feed the new young. Nests with thousands of individuals are common. In the fall, drones and new queens are hatched to begin the cycle again. Queens are usually larger than the female workers. Drones generally have a long narrow abdomen.

Taxonomy

References