''Dolichovespula'' is a small

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

social Social organisms, including human(s), live collectively in interacting populations. This interaction is considered social whether they are aware of it or not, and whether the exchange is voluntary or not. Etymology The word "social" derives from ...

wasp A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder. Th ...

s distributed widely throughout the

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. The yellow and black members of the genus are known by the

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...

yellowjacket Yellowjacket or yellowjacket is the common name in North America for predatory social wasps of the genus, genera ''Vespula'' and ''Dolichovespula''. Members of these genera are known simply as "wasps" in other English-speaking countries. Most of ...

s in

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, such as ''

Dolichovespula norwegica The Norwegian wasp (''Dolichovespula norwegica'') is a species of eusocial wasp. It is common in Scandinavia and can also be found in Scotland and other areas in Britain and Ireland. Often known for being a tree wasp, it nests in low branches a ...

'', along with members of their sister genus ''

Vespula ''Vespula'' is a small genus 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 ...

''. 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 ''

''. The most noticeable is the long face (''dolikhos'' = "long" in

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

). 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 The reproductive system of an organism, also known as the genital system, is the biological system made up of all the anatomical organs involved in sexual reproduction. Many non-living substances such as fluids, hormones, and pheromones are als ...

capacities. ''Dolichovespula'' is unique from its sister group ''Vespula'' in that some of the workers create haploid offspring that develop into males.

Species

These species are recognised: * ''

Dolichovespula adulterina ''Dolichovespula adulterina'' is a species of parasitic social wasp found in the Palearctic region. ''D. adulterina'' feeds on a variety of foods, including insects, spiders, arthropods, meat, molluscs, fruit, nectar, and larval secretions. '' ...

'' (Buysson, 1905) * ''

Dolichovespula albida ''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' ...

'' Sladen 1918 – (split from ''D. norwegica'') * ''

Dolichovespula alpicola ''Dolichovespula'' is a small genus of eusocial, 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 n ...

'' Eck 1984 – Rocky Mountain aerial yellowjacket * ''

Dolichovespula arenaria ''Dolichovespula arenaria'', also known as the common aerial yellowjacket, sandhills hornet, and common yellow hornet, is a species of wasp within the genus ''Dolichovespula'' widely distributed in the North American continent. Taxonomy and ph ...

'' (Fabricius, 1775) – aerial yellowjacket * ''

Dolichovespula arctica ''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'' ...

'' Rohwer 1918 – parasitic yellowjacket (split from ''D.adulterina'') * ''

Dolichovespula asiatica ''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' ...

'' Archer, 1981 * ''

Dolichovespula baileyi ''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' ...

'' Archer, 1987 * ''

Dolichovespula carolina ''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' ...

'' (Linnaeus, 1767) * ''

Dolichovespula flora ''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' ...

'' Archer, 1987 * ''

Dolichovespula kuami ''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' ...

'' Kim, 1996 * ''

Dolichovespula lama ''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' ...

'' (Buysson, 1903) * ''

Dolichovespula loekenae ''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' ...

'' Eck, 1980 (split from ''D. pacifica'') * ''

Dolichovespula maculata ''Dolichovespula maculata'' is a species of wasp in the genus ''Dolichovespula'' and a member of the eusocial, cosmopolitan family Vespidae. It is known by many colloquial names, primarily bald-faced hornet, but also including bald-faced aerial ...

'' (Linnaeus, 1763) – bald-faced hornet * ''

Dolichovespula media The median wasp (''Dolichovespula media'') is a species of social wasp of the family Vespidae found throughout Europe and Asia. It builds aerial paper nests often in shrubs or trees, and occasionally under the eaves of buildings. It is most comm ...

'' (Retz., 1783) – median wasp * '' Dolichovespula norvegicoides'' (Sladen, 1918) – Arctic yellowjacket * ''

'' (Fabricius 1781) – Norwegian wasp * '' Dolichovespula omissa'' (Bischoff, 1931) * ''

Dolichovespula pacifica ''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' ...

'' (Birula, 1930) * ''

Dolichovespula pacifica xanthicincta ''Dolichovespula pacifica xanthicincta'' is a subspecies of the wasp ''Dolichovespula pacifica''. It has yellow markings instead of white. Distribution North Burma, Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much o ...

'' Archer, 1980 * ''

Dolichovespula panda ''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 norwegic ...

'' Archer, 1980 * '' Dolichovespula saxonica'' (Fabricius, 1793) – Saxon wasp *'' Dolichovespula sinensis'' (Archer, 1987)https://research.amnh.org/iz/f/Carpenter_Kojima_1997_ves.pdf * ''

Dolichovespula stigma ''Dolichovespula'' is a small genus of eusocial, 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 n ...

'' Lee 1986 * ''

Dolichovespula sylvestris The tree wasp (''Dolichovespula sylvestris'') is a species of eusocial wasp in the family Vespidae, found in the temperate regions of Eurasia, particularly in western Europe. Despite being called the tree wasp, it builds both aerial and undergrou ...

'' (Scopoli, 1763) – tree wasp

References

*
Bald-faced hornet.
Baldfacedhornet.net

External links

* * Vespidae Taxa named by Sievert Allen Rohwer {{Vespidae-stub