Overview
The Vespidae are a large (nearly 5,000 species), diverse, cosmopolitan family of wasps, including nearly all the known eusocial wasps and many wasps. Each social wasp colony includes a queen and a number of female workers with varying degrees of sterility relative to the queen. In temperate social species, colonies usually only last one year, dying at the onset of winter. New queens and males (drones) are produced towards the end of the summer, and after mating, the queens hibernate over winter in cracks or other sheltered locations. The nests of most species are constructed out of mud, but polistines and vespines use plant fibers, chewed to form a sort of paper (also true of some stenogastrines). Many species are pollen vectors contributing to the pollination of several plants, being potential or even effective pollinators.1]
The subfamilies Polistinae and Vespinae are composed solely of eusocial species, while Eumeninae, Euparagiinae, and Masarinae are all solitary; the Stenogastrinae subfamily contains a variety of forms from solitary to social.
In Polistinae and Vespinae, rather than consuming prey directly, prey are masticated and fed to the larvae, and the larvae, in return, produce a clear liquid (with high amino acid content) which the adults consume; the exact amino acid composition varies considerably among species, but it is considered to contribute substantially to adult nutrition.[2]
Gallery
European wasp
A median wasp nest
Polistes nest
Another angle
Vespa tropica from India
Dolichovespula media (a European tree wasp) stripping wood from a fence for use in nest construction
External links
- Evolutionary history of social behavior in Vespids
- Vespidae of the world - iconographic work
- Stunning photographs of Vespidae (and other insects) in flight
- Vespidae: Potter wasps; vespid wasps; social wasps; hornets; paper wasps; yellowjackets
The subfamilies Polistinae and Vespinae are composed solely of eusocial species, while Eumeninae, Euparagiinae, and Masarinae are all solitary; the Stenogastrinae subfamily contains a variety of forms from solitary to social.
In Polistinae and Vespinae, rather than consuming prey directly, prey are masticated and fed to the larvae, and the larvae, in return, produce a clear liquid (with high amino acid content) which the adults consume; the exact amino acid composition varies considerably among species, but it is considered to contribute substantially to adult nutrition.[2]
Gallery
European wasp
A median wasp nest
Polistes nest
Another angle
Vespa tropica from India
Dolichovespula media (a European tree wasp) stripping wood from a fence for use in nest construction
External links
- Evolutionary history of social behavior in Vespids
- Vespidae of the world - iconographic work
- Stunning photographs of Vespidae (and other insects) in flight
- Vespidae: Potter wasps; vespid wasps; social wasps; hornets; paper wasps; yellowjackets
References
- ^ S?hs, R.B.; Somavilla, A.; Putzke, J.; K?hler, A. 2009. Pollen vector wasps (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) of Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi (Anacardiacea e), Santa Cruz do Sul, RS, Brazil. Brazilian Journal of Biosciences 7, n. 2, p. 138-143. Link: http://www.ufrgs.br/seerbio/ojs/index.php/rbb/article/view/1123
- ^ Hunt, J. H., I. Baker, and H. G. Baker. 1982. Similarity of amino acids in nectar and larval saliva: the nutritional basis for trophallaxis in social wasps. Evolution 36: 1318-1322
Taxonomy
The Family Vespidae is a member of the Superfamily Vespoidea. Here is the complete "parentage" of Vespidae:
- Domain: Eukaryota
Whittaker & Margulis,1978 - eukaryotes
- Kingdom: Animalia
C. Linnaeus, 1758 - animals
- Subkingdom: Bilateria
(Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - bilaterians
- Branch: Protostomia
Grobben, 1908 - protostomes
- Infrakingdom: Ecdysozoa
A.M.A. Aguinaldo et al., 1997 ex T. Cavalier-Smith, 1998 - ecdysozoans
- Superphylum: Panarthropoda
Cuvier
- Phylum: Arthropoda
Latreille, 1829 - Arthropods
- Subphylum: Mandibulata
Snodgrass, 1938
- Infraphylum: Atelocerata
Heymons, 1901
- Superclass: Panhexapoda
- Class: Insecta
C. Linnaeus, 1758 - Insects
- Subclass: Dicondylia
- Infraclass: Pterygota
- Winged Insects
- Superorder: Hymenopterida
- Order: Hymenoptera C. Linnaeus, 1758 - Ants, Bees, and Wasps
- Superorder: Hymenopterida
- Infraclass: Pterygota
- Winged Insects
- Subclass: Dicondylia
- Class: Insecta
C. Linnaeus, 1758 - Insects
- Superclass: Panhexapoda
- Infraphylum: Atelocerata
Heymons, 1901
- Subphylum: Mandibulata
Snodgrass, 1938
- Phylum: Arthropoda
Latreille, 1829 - Arthropods
- Superphylum: Panarthropoda
Cuvier
- Infrakingdom: Ecdysozoa
A.M.A. Aguinaldo et al., 1997 ex T. Cavalier-Smith, 1998 - ecdysozoans
- Branch: Protostomia
Grobben, 1908 - protostomes
- Subkingdom: Bilateria
(Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - bilaterians
- Kingdom: Animalia
C. Linnaeus, 1758 - animals
The Family Vespidae is further organized into finer groupings including:
- Subfamily (5): Eumeninae · Masarinae · Polistinae · Stenogastrinae · Vespinae
- Tribe (1): Alticini
- Genus (87): Agalaia · Agelaia · Ancistrocerus · Angiopolybia · Anischnogaster · Apoica · Asteloeca · Belonogaster · Brachygastra · Carolina · Cephalodynerus · Chalogaster · Chartergellus · Charterginus · Chartergus · Chatergellus · Clypearia · Curiosavespa · Curiosivespa · Dolchivespula · Dolichodynerus · Dolichovespula · Epipona · Eumenes · Euodynerus · Euparagia · Eustennogaster · Eustenogaster · Gastrodynerus · Hypalastoroides · Icaria · Ischnogaster · Leionotus · Leipomeles · Leptochiloides · Leptochilus · Leucodynerus · Liostenogaster · Maricopodynerus · Megaera · Metapolybia · Metischnogaster · Microdynerus · Minixi · Mischocyttarus · Monacanthocnemis · Monerebia · Monobia · Montezumia · Myraptera · Nectarinella · Odynerus · Pachodynerus · Palaeovespa · Parachartergus · Paraicaria · Parancistrocerus · Paranortonia · Parapolybia · Paravespula · Parischnogaster · Polistes · Polybia · Polybioides · Priorvespa · Protonectarina · Protopolybia · Provespa · Pseudepipona · Pseudodynerus · Pseudomasaris · Pseudopolybia · Pterocheilus · Raphigaster · Ropalidia · Smeringodynerus · Stelopolybia · Stenodynerus · Stenogaster · Sybillina · Symmorphus · Synoeca · Synoecoides · Vespa · Vespula · Zeta · Zethus
- Species: ZipcodeZoo has pages for 4,081 species and subspecies in the Family Vespidae.
Genera
Agalaia
Agelaia
Agelaia is a genus of Neotropical (family Vespidae), with species from Mexico to northern Argentina. Fifteen of the 31 described species are found in Brazil. These species are swarm founders that nest in cavities. The nest generally is without an envelope. [more]
Ancistrocerus
Ancistrocerus is a widely distributed genus of potter wasps with species present in many biogeographical regions of the world. [more]
Angiopolybia
Anischnogaster
Apoica
Apoica is a genus of eusocial paper wasps found throughout the Central and South American tropics. These wasps are truly nocturnal, carrying out their foraging activities after the setting of the sun. They prefer to construct their nests, which have an open comb like many paper wasps, under large leaves, or in shrubs. During the day, wasps covering the comb fan their wings to cool the nest, keeping it at a suitable temperature for larval development. [more]
Asteloeca
Belonogaster
Brachygastra
Brachygastra is a small genus of paper wasps, well-known as being one of the very few types of insects other than bees that produce and store honey. [more]
Carolina
Cephalodynerus
Chalogaster
Chartergellus
Charterginus
Chartergus
Chatergellus
Clypearia
Curiosavespa
Curiosivespa
Dolchivespula
Dolichodynerus
Dolichovespula
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 (or yellow-jackets) in North America along with members of their sister genus Vespula. Others like the Bald-faced hornet are black and white. [more]
Epipona
Eumenes
A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[1] [more]
Euodynerus
Euparagia
Eustennogaster
Eustenogaster
Gastrodynerus
Hypalastoroides
Icaria
Icaria, also spelled Ikaria (Greek: ), is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea, 10 nautical miles (19 km) southwest of Samos. It derived its name from Icarus, the son of Daedalus in Greek mythology, who fell into the sea nearby. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Ikaria regional unit, which is part of the North Aegean region. The principal town of the island and seat of the municipality is Agios Kirykos. [more]
Ischnogaster
Leionotus
Tropidophis, common name wood snake or West Indian wood snake, is a genus of dwarf boas found in the West Indies and South America. Currently, 17 species are recognized. [more]
Leipomeles
Leptochiloides
Leptochilus
Leptochilus is a genus in the family Polypodiaceae. [more]
Leucodynerus
Liostenogaster
Maricopodynerus
Megaera
A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[2] [more]
Metapolybia
Metischnogaster
Microdynerus
Minixi
Mischocyttarus
Monacanthocnemis
Monerebia
Monobia
Montezumia
Myraptera
Nectarinella
Odynerus
Pachodynerus
Palaeovespa
Parachartergus
Paraicaria
Parancistrocerus
Paranortonia
Parapolybia
Paravespula
Paravespula is a small of yellowjacket wasps, including two of the best-known wasp species in the world; the German wasp, Vespula germanica, and the common wasp, Vespula vulgaris. It is occasionally treated as a separate genus, but this is not widely accepted. [more]
Parischnogaster
Polistes
Wasps of the cosmopolitan genus Polistes (the only genus in the tribe Polistini) are the most familiar of the polistine wasps, and are the most common type of paper wasp. It is also the single largest genus within the family Vespidae, with over 300 recognized species and subspecies. Their innate preferences for nest-building sites leads them to commonly build nests on human habitation, where they can be very unwelcome; although generally not aggressive, they can be provoked into defending their nests. All species are predatory, and they may consume large numbers of caterpillars, in which respect they are generally considered beneficial. The European paper wasp, Polistes dominula, was introduced into the US about 1981 and has quickly spread throughout most of the country, in most cases replacing native species within a few years. This species is very commonly mistaken for a yellowjacket, as it is black, strongly marked with yellow, and quite different from the native North American species of Polistes. Polistes wasps can be identified by their characteristic flight; their long legs dangle below their bodies, which are also more slender than a yellowjacket. [more]
Polybia
Polybioides
Priorvespa
Protonectarina
Protopolybia
Provespa
Provespa is a lesser known genus of , made up of a group of nocturnal wasps from Southeast Asia, such as P. barthelemyi and P. nocturna. [more]
Pseudepipona
Pseudodynerus
Pseudomasaris
Pseudopolybia
Pterocheilus
Raphigaster
Ropalidia
Smeringodynerus
Stelopolybia
Stenodynerus
Stenogaster
Sybillina
Symmorphus
Synoeca
Synoecoides
Vespa
A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[3] [more]
Vespula
Vespula is a small of social wasps, widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere. Along with members of their sister genus Dolichovespula, they are collectively known by the common name yellowjackets (or yellow-jackets) in North America. Vespula species have a shorter oculo-malar space (shown in the figure below) and a more pronounced tendency to nest underground than Dolichovespula. [more]
Zeta
A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[4] [more]
Zethus
A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[5] [more]
At least 265 species and subspecies belong to the Genus Zethus.
More info about the Genus Zethus may be found here.
References
- ^ S?hs, R.B.; Somavilla, A.; Putzke, J.; K?hler, A. 2009. Pollen vector wasps (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) of Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi (Anacardiaceae), Santa Cruz do Sul, RS, Brazil. Brazilian Journal of Biosciences 7, n. 2, p. 138-143. Link: http://www.ufrgs.br/seerbio/ojs/index.php/rbb/article/view/1123
- ^ Hunt, J. H., I. Baker, and H. G. Baker. 1982. Similarity of amino acids in nectar and larval saliva: the nutritional basis for trophallaxis in social wasps. Evolution 36: 1318-1322
Footnotes
- http://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=Eumenes&search=Search
- http://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=Megaera&search=Search
- http://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=Vespa&search=Search
- http://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=Zeta&search=Search
- http://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=Zethus&search=Search
Sources
- The text on this page is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It includes material from Wikipedia retrieved Wednesday, April 25, 2012.
- The distribution map on the Distribution tab comes from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and is used with permission.
- Photographs on this page are copyrighted by individual photographers, and individual copyrights apply.
- The technology underlying this page, including the controls behind Keep Exploring, is owned by the BayScience Foundation. All rights are reserved.