''Dolichovespula'' is a small

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

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. ...

s distributed widely throughout the Northern Hemisphere. The yellow and black members of the genus are known by the common name

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 North America, such as '' Dolichovespula norwegica'', along with members of their sister genus '' 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 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 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'' (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'' (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 aeria ...

'' (Linnaeus, 1763) – bald-faced hornet * '' Dolichovespula media'' (Retz., 1783) – median wasp * '' Dolichovespula norvegicoides'' (Sladen, 1918) – Arctic yellowjacket * '' Dolichovespula norwegica'' (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'' Archer, 1980 * '' Dolichovespula panda'' 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'' 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