''Vespula'' 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 nomencla ...

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, widely distributed in 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 North ...

. Along with members of their sister genus ''

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 in North America, such as '' Dolichovespula norwegica' ...

'', they are collectively 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 genera ''Vespula'' and '' Dolichovespula''. Members of these genera are known simply as "wasps" in other English-speaking countries. Most of these ...

s (or yellow jackets) 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 C ...

. ''Vespula'' species have a shorter oculomalar space (shown in the figure below right) and a more pronounced tendency to nest underground than ''Dolichovespula''.

Notable species

* While most species of this genus inhabit North America, four ''Vespula'' species inhabit Europe, namely ''V. austriaca, V. germanica, V. rufa'' and ''V. vulgaris'' * Two common European species, the

German wasp ''Vespula germanica'', the European wasp, German wasp, or German yellowjacket, is a species of wasp found in much of the Northern Hemisphere, native to Europe, Northern Africa, and temperate Asia. It has spread and become well-established in ma ...

(''Vespula germanica'') and the

common wasp ''Vespula vulgaris'', known as the Common wasp, is a species found in regions that include the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, India, China, New Zealand and Australia. It is sometimes known in English as the European wasp, but the same name is ...

(''Vespula vulgaris''), have established in other countries: both species are now found in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island country ...

, Australia and South America, while the former has also been introduced in

, and the latter in southern

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

. * The

eastern yellowjacket The eastern yellow jacket or eastern yellowjacket (''Vespula maculifrons'') is a wasp found in eastern North America.Hoffman, Eric A., Kovacs, Jennifer L. and Goodisman, Michael A. D. (August 20, 2008). Genetic structure and breeding system in a ...

(''Vespula maculifrons'') and

western yellowjacket ''Vespula pensylvanica'', the western yellowjacket, is a Nearctic species of wasp in the genus ''Vespula''.Akre, Roger D., Albert Greene, John F. MacDonald, Peter J. Landolt, and Harry G. Davis. Agricultural Handbook Number 552. United States Dep ...

(''

Vespula pensylvanica ''Vespula pensylvanica'', the western yellowjacket, is a Nearctic species of wasp in the genus ''Vespula''.Akre, Roger D., Albert Greene, John F. MacDonald, Peter J. Landolt, and Harry G. Davis. Agricultural Handbook Number 552. United States Dep ...

'') are native to North America. Wasp morphology

Species

* ''

Vespula acadica ''Vespula acadica,'' also known as the Forest Yellowjacket, is a North American species of eusocial wasp which is part of the ''"rufa"'' group within the genus ''Vespula''. It is a black and yellow wasp that is found in arboreal areas and builds ...

'' (Sladen, 1918) – forest yellowjacket''Vespula''
BugGuide * '' Vespula alascensis'' Packard, 1870 – common yellowjacket * ''

Vespula arisana ''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 ...

'' (Sonan, 1929) * ''

Vespula atropilosa ''Vespula atropilosa'', also known as the prairie yellowjacket, is a black and yellow social wasp that forms annual colonies. ''Vespula atropilosa'' was formerly a member of the ''Vespa'' family. Males have either xanthic (yellow) or melanic (bl ...

'' (Sladen, 1918) – prairie yellowjacket * ''

Vespula austriaca ''Vespula austriaca'' is an obligate parasitic wasp, parasitizing the nests of other species in the genus '' Vespula'' in the Old World. Its common host species include '' V. rufa'' in Europe, Japan, and East Siberia.''V. austriaca ''wasps p ...

'' (Panzer, 1799) – red cuckoo wasp * '' Vespula consobrina'' (Saussure, 1854) – blackjacket * '' Vespula flaviceps'' (Smith, 1870) * '' Vespula flavopilosa'' Jacobson, 1978 – downy yellowjacket * ''

Vespula germanica ''Vespula germanica'', the European wasp, German wasp, or German yellowjacket, is a species of wasp found in much of the Northern Hemisphere, native to Europe, Northern Africa, and temperate Asia. It has spread and become well-established in ma ...

'' (Fabricius, 1793) – German wasp, German yellowjacket * ''

Vespula inexspectata ''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 ...

'' Eck, 1991 * ''

Vespula infernalis ''Vespula infernalis'' is an obligate parasitic wasp, parasitizing the nests of other species in the genus ''Vespula''. Its common host species is '' V. acadica'' in North America. It is sometimes called the cuckoo yellowjacket wasp due to its ...

'' (Saussure, 1854) – cuckoo yellowjacket * '' Vespula ingrica'' Birula, 1931 * ''

Vespula intermedia ''Vespula intermedia'', the American red-banded yellowjacket, or the northern red-banded yellowjacket, is a rare species of wasp in the family Vespidae. It was described by Robert du Buysson in 1905. The species is native to northern Canada, Mai ...

'' ( Buysson, 1904–05) – northern red-banded yellowjacket * '' Vespula kingdonwardi'' Archer, 1981 * '' Vespula koreensis'' (Rad., 1887) * '' Vespula maculifrons'' ( Buysson, 1905) – eastern yellowjacket * '' Vespula nursei'' (Archer, 1981) * '' Vespula orbata'' ( Buysson 1902) * '' Vespula orientalis'' (Linnaeus, 1771) - oriental hornet * ''

'' (Saussure, 1857) – western yellowjacket * ''

Vespula rufa ''Vespula rufa'', commonly known as the red wasp,Archer, M. E. (2001). Vespula rufa (Linnaeus,1758). Retrieved from: http://www.bwars.com/index.php?q=wasp/vespidae/vespinae/vespula-rufa is a social wasp species belonging to the genus ''Vespula''. ...

'' (Linnaeus, 1758) – red wasp * '' Vespula rufosignata'' (Eck, 1998) * '' Vespula shidai'' (Ish., Yam., Wagn., 1980) * '' Vespula squamosa'' (Drury, 1770) – southern yellowjacket * '' Vespula structor'' (Smith, 1870) * '' Vespula sulphurea'' (Saussure, 1854) – California yellowjacket * '' Vespula vidua'' (Saussure, 1854) * ''

Vespula vulgaris ''Vespula vulgaris'', known as the Common wasp, is a species found in regions that include the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, India, China, New Zealand and Australia. It is sometimes known in English as the European wasp, but the same name is ...

'' (Linnaeus, 1758) – common wasp See also: *'' Paravespula'', a subgenus of ''Vespula''

Venom

The venom of ''Vespula'' is mostly composed of

antigen 5 In immunology, an antigen (Ag) is a molecule or molecular structure or any foreign particulate matter or a pollen grain that can bind to a specific antibody or T-cell receptor. The presence of antigens in the body may trigger an immune response. ...

hyaluronidase Hyaluronidases are a family of enzymes that catalyse the degradation of hyaluronic acid (HA). Karl Meyer classified these enzymes in 1971, into three distinct groups, a scheme based on the enzyme reaction products. The three main types of hyal ...

, and

phospholipase A phospholipase is an enzyme that hydrolyzes phospholipids into fatty acids and other lipophilic substances. Acids trigger the release of bound calcium from cellular stores and the consequent increase in free cytosolic Ca2+, an essential step in ...

Immunology

There is a high degree of similarity between

immunogenic Immunogenicity is the ability of a foreign substance, such as an antigen, to provoke an immune response in the body of a human or other animal. It may be wanted or unwanted: * Wanted immunogenicity typically relates to vaccines, where the injectio ...

fractions of different ''Vespula''e. Rabbit serum is unable to distinguish between them.

References

* Vespidae Taxa named by Carl Gustaf Thomson {{Vespidae-stub pl:Osa