Vespa crabro Linnaeus

Kimsey, Lynn S. & Carpenter, James M., 2012, The Vespinae of North America (Vespidae, Hymenoptera), Journal of Hymenoptera Research 28, pp. 37-65 : 44

Vespa crabro Linnaeus Fig. 27

Vespa crabro Linnaeus 1758:572. Holotype female; "in Europae" (LINNAEAN SOCIETY).

Vespa vexator Harris 1776:128. Holotype female; “English” (destroyed).

Vespa crabro major Retzius 1783:63. Type unknown.

Vespa pratensis ? Geoffroy (in Fourcroy) 1785:437. Type unknown; France.

Vespa crabro germana Christ 1791:215. Type unknown (destroyed).

Vespa crabroniformis Smith 1852:40. Syntype male, female; "north China" (LONDON).

Vespa crabro var. borealis Radoszkowski 1863:128. Syntype male, female; "Pargolova i Osinovoa Roshchi" (type lost?). Nec Vespa borealis Kirby 1837, Vespa borealis Zetterstedt 1840 and Vespa borealis Smith, 1843.

Vespa crabro var. anglica Gribodo 1892:242. Syntype females; “Inghilterra” (GENOA). Nec Vespa anglica Smith, 1843.

Vespa oberthuri du Buysson 1902:140. Lectotype female; "Chine: Se-tchouen, Siao-Lou" (China) (PARIS).

Vespa flavofasciata Cameron 1903:280. Holotype female; Japan: Nügata (Shinanogawa) (LONDON).

Vespa crabro var. tartarea du Buysson 1905:506. Holotype female; "Japon: Yokohama (BUDAPEST).

Vespa crabro var. altaica Pérez 1910:5. Holotype female: “Altai” (PARIS).

Vespa crabro var. caspica Pérez 1910:6. Holotype female; "Talysch et Lenkoran, région Caspienne" (Azerbaijan) (PARIS).

Vespa crabro nigra Birula 1925:55. Synypes; West Siberia (ST. PETERSBURG). Nec Vespa nigra Geoffroy 1785.

Vespa crabro vulgata Birula 1925:55. Syntypes ?; western Europe (ST. PETERSBURG).

Vespa crabro meridionalis Birula 1925:55. Syntypes ?; western Europe (ST. PETERSBURG).

Vespa crabro chinensis Birula 1925:55. Syntypes ?; middle and south China (ST. PETERSBURG). Nec Vespa chinensis Fabricius 1793.

Vespa crabro var. birulai Bequaert 1931:105. Replacement name for Vespa crabro chinensis Birula.

Vespa crabro var. gribodoi Bequaer, 1931:105. Replacement name for Vespa crabro var. anglica Gribodo.

Distribution.

The central European color form of this Palearctic species was introduced into the New York area in the mid-1800's (de Saussure 1898). It now occurs throughout the eastern United States, east of the Mississippi River.

Biology.

Nests are generally built in above-ground cavities, wall voids, hollow trees, and even in abandoned honey bee hives. Nests are large in size because of the size of the wasps but generally contain only a few thousand cells. These wasps feed on live insects, including honey bees near hives ( Akre and Davis 1978) and have been recorded girdling saplings to feed on sap in the spring ( Bromley 1931).

Figures

Figures 26 - 37. Dorsal view of worker metasoma.