Saxon wasp
| Saxon wasp | ||||||||||||
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Queen grating wood for nest building |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Dolichovespula saxonica | ||||||||||||
| ( Fabricius , 1793) |
The Saxon wasp ( Dolichovespula saxonica ) is a species of the genus of Dolichovespula ( Dolichovespula ).
The species is also extremely peaceful in the nest area and is not attracted to sweet foods. Due to their synanthropic way of life, especially in attics, the animals nest freely, their nests are often destroyed by people out of ignorance and fear. However, the species is not endangered.
features
The queens of this species reach a body length of 15 to 18 millimeters, workers are 11 to 14 millimeters long, drones 13 to 15 millimeters. The drawing on the head shield ( clypeus ) and on the abdomen is variable. Most of the time, the head shield has black markings that extend upwards, and the eyelid has a narrow, yellow-colored stripe only on the underside. There is a small yellow spot on the temples above and below. The males of the species can only be clearly distinguished from the other long-headed wasps by genital examinations . The species can be distinguished from the similar wood wasp ( Dolichovespula sylvestris ) by its extensive black head shield, while the false cuckoo wasp ( Dolichovespula adulterina ) also differs from it by its head shield, which is similar in pattern, but drawn out in two points at the lower corners is.
Occurrence
The species occurs from the Pyrenees across Central and Northern Europe eastwards to Japan. It populates various open biotopes and also human settlement areas. The animals fly from mid-May to early September, with workers appearing from early June and queens and drones of the new generation from late June. The species is the most common long-headed wasp in Central Europe and occurs frequently almost everywhere.
Way of life
The Saxon wasps lay their nests like the wood wasp freely hanging in protected places and also in or on houses, attics etc. The gray-colored nests are made of weathered wood and reach a diameter of up to 25 centimeters, with large nests developing an elongated shape. They have no air pockets and their surface is smooth. Often, especially in attics, one finds numerous small, abandoned nests, which stem from failed attempts to found a nest. The nests usually consist of three to six honeycombs, the edges of which are bent up, and up to 2,000 cells. A maximum of about 1,000 individuals colonize a nest, of which about 100 to 300 are workers. The population of the Saxon Wasp develops relatively quickly. The species is parasitized by the false cuckoo wasp .
supporting documents
literature
- Heiko Bellmann : bees, wasps, ants. Hymenoptera of Central Europe . Franckh-Kosmos, Stuttgart 1995, ISBN 3-440-06932-X
- Rolf Witt: Wasps. Observe, determine. Naturbuch-Verlag, Augsburg 1998, ISBN 3-89440-243-1 .
