The Vespidae are a large (nearly 5000 species), diverse, cosmopolitan family of wasps, including nearly all the known eusocial wasps (such as Polistes fuscatus, Vespa orientalis, and Vespula germanica) and many solitary wasps.[1] Each social wasp colony includes a queen and a number of female workers with varying degrees of sterility relative to the queen. In temperate social species, colonies usually last only one year, dying at the onset of winter. New queens and males (drones) are produced towards the end of the summer, and after mating, the queens hibernate over winter in cracks or other sheltered locations. The nests of most species are constructed out of mud, but polistines and vespines use plant fibers, chewed to form a sort of paper (also true of some stenogastrines). Many species are pollen vectors contributing to the pollination of several plants, being potential or even effective pollinators,[2] while others are notable predators of pest insect species.
The subfamilies Polistinae and Vespinae are composed solely of eusocial species, while the Eumeninae, Euparagiinae, Gayellinae, Masarinae and Zethinae are all solitary with the exception of a few communal and several subsocial species. The Stenogastrinae are facultatively eusocial, considering nests may have one or several adult females; in cases where the nest is shared by multiple females (typically, a mother and her daughters) there is reproductive division of labor and cooperative brood care.[3]
In the Polistinae and Vespinae, rather than consuming prey directly, prey are premasticated and fed to the larvae, which in return, produce a clear liquid (with high amino acid content) for the adults to consume; the exact amino acid composition varies considerably among species, but it is considered to contribute substantially to adult nutrition.[4]
Fossils are known since Aptian of the Early Cretaceous, with several described species from Cretaceous amber.[5]
Dolichovespula media (a European tree wasp) stripping wood from a fence for use in nest construction
References
^Pickett, Kurt M.; Wenzel, John W. (2004). "Phylogenetic Analysis of the New World Polistes (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistinae) Using Morphology and Molecules". Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society. 77 (4): 742–760. doi:10.2317/E-18.1. S2CID 85737989.
^Sühs, R.B.; Somavilla, A.; Putzke, J.; Köhler, A. (2009). "Pollen vector wasps (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) of Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi (Anacardiaceae), Santa Cruz do Sul, RS, Brazil". Brazilian Journal of Biosciences. 7 (2): 138–143.
^PK Piekarski, JM Carpenter, AR Lemmon, E Moriarty-Lemmon, BJ Sharanowski. (2018) Phylogenomic Evidence Overturns Current Conceptions of Social Evolution in Wasps (Vespidae). Molecular Biology and Evolution. 35:2097-2109. https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msy124
^Hunt, J.H.; Baker, I.; Baker, H.G. (1982). "Similarity of amino acids in nectar and larval saliva: the nutritional basis for trophallaxis in social wasps". Evolution. 36 (6): 1318–22. doi:10.1111/j.1558-5646.1982.tb05501.x. PMID 28563573.
^Perrard, Adrien; Grimaldi, David; Carpenter, James M. (April 2017). "Early lineages of Vespidae (Hymenoptera) in Cretaceous amber: Vespidae in Cretaceous amber" (PDF). Systematic Entomology. 42 (2): 379–386. doi:10.1111/syen.12222. S2CID 90328491.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vespidae.
Stunning photographs of Vespidae (and other insects) in flight
Vespidae: Potter wasps; vespid wasps; social wasps; hornets; paper wasps; yellowjackets
Identification Atlas of the Vespidae of the northeastern Nearctic region
August 21, 2023
vespidae, large, nearly, 5000, species, diverse, cosmopolitan, family, wasps, including, nearly, known, eusocial, wasps, such, polistes, fuscatus, vespa, orientalis, vespula, germanica, many, solitary, wasps, each, social, wasp, colony, includes, queen, number. The Vespidae are a large nearly 5000 species diverse cosmopolitan family of wasps including nearly all the known eusocial wasps such as Polistes fuscatus Vespa orientalis and Vespula germanica and many solitary wasps 1 Each social wasp colony includes a queen and a number of female workers with varying degrees of sterility relative to the queen In temperate social species colonies usually last only one year dying at the onset of winter New queens and males drones are produced towards the end of the summer and after mating the queens hibernate over winter in cracks or other sheltered locations The nests of most species are constructed out of mud but polistines and vespines use plant fibers chewed to form a sort of paper also true of some stenogastrines Many species are pollen vectors contributing to the pollination of several plants being potential or even effective pollinators 2 while others are notable predators of pest insect species VespidaeTemporal range Aptian Recent PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg NVespula germanicaScientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ArthropodaClass InsectaOrder HymenopteraSuperfamily VespoideaFamily VespidaeLatreille 1802SubfamiliesEumeninae potter wasps Euparagiinae Gayellinae Masarinae pollen wasps Polistinae paper wasp Stenogastrinae hover wasp Vespinae yellowjackets hornets Zethinae Priorvespinae ProtovespinaePalaeovespa florissantia late EoceneThe subfamilies Polistinae and Vespinae are composed solely of eusocial species while the Eumeninae Euparagiinae Gayellinae Masarinae and Zethinae are all solitary with the exception of a few communal and several subsocial species The Stenogastrinae are facultatively eusocial considering nests may have one or several adult females in cases where the nest is shared by multiple females typically a mother and her daughters there is reproductive division of labor and cooperative brood care 3 In the Polistinae and Vespinae rather than consuming prey directly prey are premasticated and fed to the larvae which in return produce a clear liquid with high amino acid content for the adults to consume the exact amino acid composition varies considerably among species but it is considered to contribute substantially to adult nutrition 4 Fossils are known since Aptian of the Early Cretaceous with several described species from Cretaceous amber 5 Gallery Edit German wasp Median wasp nest Polistes nest Polistes wasp carrying a bit of wood from an old rake handle Vespa tropica from India Dolichovespula media a European tree wasp stripping wood from a fence for use in nest constructionReferences Edit Pickett Kurt M Wenzel John W 2004 Phylogenetic Analysis of the New World Polistes Hymenoptera Vespidae Polistinae Using Morphology and Molecules Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 77 4 742 760 doi 10 2317 E 18 1 S2CID 85737989 Suhs R B Somavilla A Putzke J Kohler A 2009 Pollen vector wasps Hymenoptera Vespidae of Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi Anacardiaceae Santa Cruz do Sul RS Brazil Brazilian Journal of Biosciences 7 2 138 143 PK Piekarski JM Carpenter AR Lemmon E Moriarty Lemmon BJ Sharanowski 2018 Phylogenomic Evidence Overturns Current Conceptions of Social Evolution in Wasps Vespidae Molecular Biology and Evolution 35 2097 2109 https doi org 10 1093 molbev msy124 Hunt J H Baker I Baker H G 1982 Similarity of amino acids in nectar and larval saliva the nutritional basis for trophallaxis in social wasps Evolution 36 6 1318 22 doi 10 1111 j 1558 5646 1982 tb05501 x PMID 28563573 Perrard Adrien Grimaldi David Carpenter James M April 2017 Early lineages of Vespidae Hymenoptera in Cretaceous amber Vespidae in Cretaceous amber PDF Systematic Entomology 42 2 379 386 doi 10 1111 syen 12222 S2CID 90328491 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vespidae Evolutionary history of social behavior in Vespids Stunning photographs of Vespidae and other insects in flight Vespidae Potter wasps vespid wasps social wasps hornets paper wasps yellowjackets Identification Atlas of the Vespidae of the northeastern Nearctic region Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Vespidae amp oldid 1152221179, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
