''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 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 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 ''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). 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 different from its sister group ''Vespula'' in that some of the workers create haploid offspring that develop into males.

Species and subspecies

These species/subspecies 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) – parasitic yellowjacket * '' Dolichovespula adulterina montivaga'' Sk. Yamane, 1982 – parasitic yellowjacket (subspecies of ''D. adulterina''subspecies of ''Dolichovespula adulterina''
/ref>) * '' Dolichovespula alpicola'' Eck 1984 – Rocky Mountain aerial yellowjacket * '' Dolichovespula arctica'' Rohwer 1916 – parasitic yellowjacket (not a subspecies of ''D. adulterina'') * ''

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 asiatica'' Archer, 1981 * '' Dolichovespula baileyi'' Archer, 1987 * '' Dolichovespula carolina'' (Linnaeus, 1767) * '' Dolichovespula flora'' Archer, 1987 * '' Dolichovespula kuami'' Kim, 1996 * '' Dolichovespula lama'' (Buysson, 1903) * '' 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 * ''

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

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 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 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 * '' Dolichovespula sylvestris sumptuosa'' (Buysson, 1905) (subspecies of ''D. sylvestris''subspecies of ''Dolichovespula sylvestris''
/ref>) * '' Dolichovespula xanthicincta'' Archer, 1980

References

*
Bald-faced hornet.
Baldfacedhornet.net

External links

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