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Vespula

Vespula
German wasp (Vespula germanica)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Vespidae
Subfamily:	Vespinae
Genus:	Vespula Thomson, 1869
Type species
Vespa austriaca Panzer, 1799[1]
Species
23 species
Synonyms
Pseudovespa Schmiedeknecht 1881 Allovespula Blüthgen, 1943 Rugovespula Archer, 1982

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

• 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 (V. germanica) and the common wasp (V. vulgaris), have established in other countries; both species are now found in New Zealand, Australia, and South America, while the former has also been introduced in North America, and the latter in Southern Africa.
• The eastern yellowjacket (V. maculifrons) and western yellowjacket (V. pensylvanica) are native to North America.

See also:

• Paravespula, a subgenus of Vespula

The venom of Vespula is mostly composed of antigen 5, hyaluronidase, and phospholipase.^{[King et al 1983 1]}​

A high degree of similarity occurs between immunogenic fractions of different Vespula species.^{[King et al 1983 2]}​^{[King et al 1983 3]}​ Rabbit serum antibodies are unable to distinguish between them.^{[King et al 1983 2]}​^{[King et al 1983 3]}​

Wikispecies has information related to Vespula.

• King, T.P.; Alagon, A.C.; Kuan, J.; Sobotka, A.K.; Lichtenstein, L.M. (1983). "Immunochemical studies of yellowjacket venom proteins". Molecular Immunology. 20 (3). Elsevier BV: 297–308. doi:10.1016/0161-5890(83)90069-x. ISSN 0161-5890. PMID 6865952.

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