''Dolichovespula'' is a small genus of social wasps distributed widely throughout the

Northern Hemisphere The Northern Hemisphere is the half of Earth that is north of the Equator. For other planets in the Solar System, north is defined as being in the same celestial hemisphere relative to the invariable plane of the solar system as Earth's Nort ...

. 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 ...

yellowjackets in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

, such as '' Dolichovespula norwegica'', along with members of their

sister genus In phylogenetics, a sister group or sister taxon, also called an adelphotaxon, comprises the closest relative(s) of another given unit in an evolutionary tree. Definition The expression is most easily illustrated by a cladogram: Taxon A and t ...

'' 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 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'' Sladen 1918 – (split from ''D. norwegica'') * '' Dolichovespula alpicola'' Eck 1984 – Rocky Mountain aerial yellowjacket * '' Dolichovespula arenaria'' (Fabricius, 1775) – aerial yellowjacket * '' Dolichovespula arctica'' Rohwer 1918 – parasitic yellowjacket (split from ''D.adulterina'') * '' 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 loekenae'' Eck, 1980 (split from ''D. pacifica'') * '' Dolichovespula maculata'' (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 ''Dolichovespula norvegicoides'' is a species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms i ...

'' (Sladen, 1918) – Arctic yellowjacket * '' Dolichovespula norwegica'' (Fabricius 1781) – Norwegian wasp * ''

Dolichovespula omissa ''Dolichovespula omissa'' is a species of wasp in the family of Vespidae. It lives as a social parasite by letting colonies of ''Dolichovespula sylvestris'' raise their young. The wasps reach a body length of 15 to 18 millimeters (females) or 14 ...

'' (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 ''Dolichovespula saxonica,'' also known as the Saxon wasp, is a common social wasp found in the Palearctic region, specifically in large parts of Europe and in northern and central Asia. Although originally from continental Europe, ''D. saxonica ...

'' (Fabricius, 1793) – Saxon wasp *''

Dolichovespula sinensis ''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)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'' (Scopoli, 1763) – tree wasp

References

*
Bald-faced hornet.
Baldfacedhornet.net

External links

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