Dolichovespula maculata
| Dolichovespula maculata | ||||||||||||
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Dolichovespula maculata |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Dolichovespula maculata | ||||||||||||
| ( Linnaeus , 1763) |
Dolichovespula maculata is a species of wasp from North America.
features
It is a large species, workers longer than 15 millimeters, queens longer than 20 millimeters; they are significantly larger than z. B. German and Common Wasp . The animal is mostly black with white markings. The face and mandibles and the last three tergites of the abdomen are drawn extensively in white ; the tergite in front has two small white spots at the base. Red or yellow drawing elements are missing, with the exception of the yellowish or brownish colored underside of the antenna flagella. Also typical are the long hairy tibiae and the irregular, coarsely striped propodeum .
The only other white-marked long-headed wasp species in North America is Dolichovespula albida , which is found north of Alaska and Canada . This is smaller and typically has a distinct red spot on both sides of the second abdomen git. Dolichovespula maculata is often confused in North America with the hornet ( Vespa crabro ), which also occurs there, although it looks completely different. Its common English name is "bald-faced hornet", d. that is, it is considered a hornet because of its size. In the French-speaking countries and regions of North America, it is called guêpe à taches blanches .
Way of life
The species builds the free-hanging cardboard nests typical of Dolichovespula species in trees and bushes up to heights of about 20 meters, sometimes above, and more rarely on rock overhangs, house or shed walls and other man-made structures. The nests are open and exposed, protected areas are not preferred. The nests can reach a maximum diameter of 35 centimeters with a length of 60 centimeters and then contain around 3500 cells in five honeycomb levels, but they usually remain significantly smaller. Adult nests contain around 100 to 400 workers. Young nests (in April / May) are sometimes noticeable by a downward-pointing, chimney-like extension of the nest envelope. They like to nest in human settlement areas, where their peoples are not infrequently only noticed by residents in late summer. Dolichovespula maculata is not an aggressive species and only defends its nest in the event of massive disturbances.
Dolichovespula maculata prefers live prey, it rarely occurs on carrion or human stores. In addition to flies, other wasp species are preferred prey.
distribution
The species is restricted to North America and is widespread and common here. It occurs north to central Alaska and south to Florida, from the east to the west coast. It is absent in the arid regions of the American Southwest, but occurs along the coast south to central California. The species was introduced to New Zealand once.
swell
- Akre RD, Greene A., MacDonald JF, Landolt PJ, Davis HG (1980): Yellowjackets of America North of Mexico. US Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Handbook No. 552, 102 pp.
Individual evidence
- ^ AC Harris (1984): An American bald-faced hornet (Dolichovespula maculata; Hymenoptera: Vespidae) captured live in the Dunedin town belt. New Zealand Entomologist Vol. 8: 45-46.
