The Vespidae form one of social wasps . These social insects flying is called Frelon or Guêpe S. There exist about it several hundreds of species whose most frequent in Europe of the North-West known as is the wasp German ( Vespula germanica ). They form founded annual colonies in spring by a fertilized female, the queen. The males are born at the end of the summer. Only the new fertilized females winter, in nests which they build for the occasion.

The nest consists of cells of “paperboard” that the wasps produce by mastiquant Bois to mix it with their Salive. This manufactoring process was studied by the man for the technique of manufacture of paper starting from cellulose of wood. Each cell is intended to receive an egg. Once deposited by the queen, this one will spend approximately twenty days to arrive at the adult state.

The queen or the female founder (name depends on the species) holds a stock of spermatozoa which will be useful to him during all its life. It manages the fecundation of the eggs which it will lay. Fertilized, they will give individuals females; not fertilized, they will give male individuals who are consequently Haploïde S. Thereafter the type of food that the larvae receive makes it possible to determine the possibility that they will have to reproduce.

During most of the year the colony sees growing individuals females nourished and raised to become workers: they will pass their life to be dealt with the survival of the nest while going to seek food and by raising the new individuals. Some will become Reine or founder. But in the current of the summer the colony starts to build cells where the queen starts to lay eggs intended to become reproductive individuals who will be nourished consequently. The number of males and females reproducers is mainly related to the size of the nest, therefore with its capacity to be nourished and make develop these reproductive individuals. At the conclusion of their development, about September, the reproductive individuals gather for a nuptial flight at the end of which the males will die of exhaustion.

The social wasps are omnivorous with a predilection for the meat. They drive out flies, caterpillars as well as other harmful insects (parasitic of the cattle for example) to nourish the nest, without scorning the parts of butchery that the human ones can leave with the free air. They also adore the quite ripe fruits and honey. They are not pollénisatrices in normal weather, but while consuming certain flowers they can transport pollen.

They recognize their membership of a colony thanks to Phéromone S specific to the nest: a wasp, even of the same species, will be thus rejected by a nest to which it does not belong. They can also find the position of their colony to the manner of the Fourmi S while being located according to the position of the Sun.

In Europe one meets the following subfamilies:

• Eumeninae
• Masarinae
• Vespinae
• Polistinae

List kinds in Europe

• Vespa
• Vespula
• Dolichovespula
• Polistes

List kinds on a world level

Under family: Polistinae

• Apoica Lepeltier, 1836 * Brachygastra Perty, 1833

• Belonogaster of Saussure, 1854 * Polistes Latreille, 1802
• Mischocyttarus Saussure, 1853
• Euparagia CRESSON, 1879
• Polybia Lepeletier, 1836
• Charterginus Fox, 1898
• Chartergus Lepeletier, 1836
• Protolybia Ducke, 1905
• Pseudochartergus Ducke, 1905
• Synoecoides Ducke, 1905
• Epipona Latreille, 1802
• Synoeca of Saussure, 1852
• Metapolybia Ducke, 1905
• Clypearia of Saussure, 1854
• Occipitalia Richards, 1978
• Marimbonda Richards, 1978
• Parachartergus R.Von Ihering, 1904
• Leipomeles Moebius, 1856
• Nectarinella Bequaert, 1938
• Cartergellus Bequaert, 1938
• Pseudopolybia Von Della Torre, 1894
• Angiopolybia Araujo, 1946
• Agelaia Ducke, 1910

Under family: Vespinae :

• Vespa Linnaeus, 1758

• Dolichovespula Rohwer, 1916
• Vespula Thomson, 1869
• Provespa Ashmead, 1903

Under family: Eumeninae

• Delta Saussure, 1855

• Eumenes Latreille, 1802
• Pachodynerus Saussure, 1875

See too

Taxconomic references

External bonds