''Vespula'' is a small genus of social wasps, 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 Nort ...

. 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 ...

'' Dolichovespula'', 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 ...

yellowjackets (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 Car ...

. ''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'') and the common wasp (''Vespula vulgaris''), have established in other countries: both species are now found in New Zealand,

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

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

, and the latter in southern Africa. * 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'') 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 ''Vespula alascensis'', also referred to as common yellowjacket, is a species of yellowjacket that inhabits North America. Although it was named in 1870, it was, until 2010, treated as a taxonomic synonym of a related species, ''Vespula vulgaris ...

'' 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 Nor ...

'' (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 ( ...

'' (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 po ...

'' (Panzer, 1799) – red cuckoo wasp * ''

Vespula consobrina ''Vespula consobrina'', the blackjacket, is a species of stinging wasp in the family Vespidae The Vespidae are a large (nearly 5000 species), diverse, cosmopolitan family of wasps, including nearly all the known eusocial wasps (such as ''Poli ...

'' (Saussure, 1854) – blackjacket * ''

Vespula flaviceps ''Vespula flaviceps'' is a species of social wasp in the genus ''Vespula''. It found in Eastern Asia and Japan. Studies have suggested that the queens of this species may mate with more males and use sperm more evenly. The reason for this is not ...

'' (Smith, 1870) * ''

Vespula flavopilosa ''Vespula flavopilosa'', also known as the downy yellowjacket, is a species of yellowjacket Yellowjacket or yellowjacket is the common name in North America for predatory social wasps of the genus, genera ''Vespula'' and ''Dolichovespula''. M ...

'' Jacobson, 1978 – downy yellowjacket * '' Vespula germanica'' (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 Nor ...

'' 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 ''Vespula ingrica'', the grey yellowjacket, is a species of 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) ...

'' 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, Main ...

'' ( Buysson, 1904–05) – northern red-banded yellowjacket * ''

Vespula kingdonwardi ''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 No ...

'' Archer, 1981 * ''

Vespula koreensis ''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 A ...

'' (Rad., 1887) * ''

Vespula maculifrons 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 ...

'' ( Buysson, 1905) – eastern yellowjacket * ''

Vespula nursei ''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 A ...

'' (Archer, 1981) * ''

Vespula orbata ''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 ...

'' ( Buysson 1902) * ''

Vespula orientalis ''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 ...

'' (Linnaeus, 1771) - oriental hornet * '' Vespula pensylvanica'' (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 ''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, 1998) * ''

Vespula shidai ''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 ...

'' (Ish., Yam., Wagn., 1980) * ''

Vespula squamosa ''Vespula squamosa'', the southern yellowjacket, is a social wasp. This species can be identified by its distinctive black and yellow patterning and orange queen. These yellowjackets are typically found in eastern North America, and its territor ...

'' (Drury, 1770) – southern yellowjacket * ''

Vespula structor ''Vespula structor'' is a species of wasp in the family Vespidae found in India, Nepal, Laos, Myanmar, China and Bhutan. References

Vespidae Insects described in 1870 {{vespidae-stub ...

'' (Smith, 1870) * ''

Vespula sulphurea ''Vespula sulphurea'', the California yellowjacket, is a species of wasp within the family Vespidae. It is found distributed in the Upper Sonoran Fauna of California, but has been known to occur in southern Oregon, western Nevada, southern Arizon ...

'' (Saussure, 1854) – California yellowjacket * ''

Vespula vidua ''Vespula vidua'', known generally as the long yellowjacket or widow yellowjacket, is a species of stinging wasp in the family Vespidae The Vespidae are a large (nearly 5000 species), diverse, cosmopolitan family of wasps, including nearly al ...

'' (Saussure, 1854) * '' Vespula vulgaris'' (Linnaeus, 1758) – common wasp See also: *''

Paravespula ''Paravespula'' is a small subgenus of yellowjacket wasps, including some of the best-known wasp species in the world: the German wasp, ''Vespula germanica''; the eastern yellowjacket ''Vespula maculifrons''; the western yellowjacket ''Vespula p ...

'', 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, and phospholipase.

Immunology

There is a high degree of similarity between immunogenic 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