Taxonomy
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Vespidae Laicharting, 1781
Subfamily: Vespinae Laicharting, 1781
Genus: Vespa Linnaeus, 1758
Species: Vespa affinis Linnaeus, 1764
Common names: lesser banded hornet
Background
Vespa affinis is a smaller-bodied hornet common in subtropical and tropical Asia (Smith-Pardo et al. 2020)(Smith-Pardo et al. 2020):
Smith-Pardo A., JM Carpenter amp; LS Kimsey. 2020. The diversity of hornets in the genus Vespa , their importance and interceptions in the United States. Insect Systematics and Diversity 4 (3): 1ndash;27. and has been introduced to a number of other countries. Vespa affinis nests are usually built on the twigs of small trees or in shrubs and have a thick, scalloped envelope that covers the nest combs (Matsuura and Yamane 1984; Smith-Pardo et al. 2020)
Distribution
Vespa affinis is native to India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines.
Diagnostic characteristics
To identify the genus:
- both pronotal and pretegular carinae present
- head vertexvertex:
the area between the ocelli and the back of the head
with the distance from posterior ocellusocellus:
single facet light reception organs; on the top of the adult head
to the posterior margin of vertexvertex:
the area between the ocelli and the back of the head
more than twice the distance between the posterior ocelliocelli:
single facet light reception organs; on the top of the adult head
and the compound eye
- basal basal:
originating at the foundation of a structure
metasomal segment anteriorly rounded
- forewing forewing:
the front wing attached to the middle thoracic segment
prestigma three times or more as long as the pterostigma (Smith-Pardo et al. 2020)(Smith-Pardo et al. 2020):
Smith-Pardo A., JM Carpenter amp; LS Kimsey. 2020. The diversity of hornets in the genus Vespa , their importance and interceptions in the United States. Insect Systematics and Diversity 4 (3): 1ndash;27.
To identify the species:
- metasomal tergumtergum:
the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a speciifc segment, such as T1, T2, etc.
2 usually reddish brown, or if metasomal tergumtergum:
the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a speciifc segment, such as T1, T2, etc.
is mostly black then vertexvertex:
the area between the ocelli and the back of the head
is also black (Smith-Pardo et al. 2020)(Smith-Pardo et al. 2020):
Smith-Pardo A., JM Carpenter amp; LS Kimsey. 2020. The diversity of hornets in the genus Vespa , their importance and interceptions in the United States. Insect Systematics and Diversity 4 (3): 1ndash;27.
- metapleural punctures ventrally well-defined, nearly contiguous (Kimsey and Carpenter 2012)(Kimsey and Carpenter 2012):
Kimsey LS amp; JM Carpenter. 2012. The Vespinae of North America. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 28: 37ndash;65. Doi.org/10.3897/jhr.28.3514.
- queens and workers: oculo-malar space about half as long as the sixth antennal segment
- males: oculo-malar space about half as long as the seventh antennal segment (Bequaert 1936)(Bequaert 1936):
Bequaert J. 1936. The common Oriental hornets, Vespa tropica and Vespa affinis , and their color forms. Treubia 15 (4): 329ndash;351.
Biology/Life cycle
Vespa affinis is a generalist scavenger. It feeds on nectar, fruit, tree sap, carrion, and insects, including honeybees (Smith-Pardo et al. 2020)(Smith-Pardo et al. 2020):
Smith-Pardo A., JM Carpenter amp; LS Kimsey. 2020. The diversity of hornets in the genus Vespa , their importance and interceptions in the United States. Insect Systematics and Diversity 4 (3): 1ndash;27..
In the subtropics, colonies are annual with new queens remaining in the colony for about 2 weeks after emerging towards the end of September. During November and December mature sexuals leave the colony, mate, and males die soon after while queens enter overwintering sites. Queens emerge from overwintering during mid-April and initiate nests soon after. These queen colonies last for about one month with adult workers appearing from early June. Large cellcell:
a portion of wing membrane enclosed by wing veins
building begins at the end of August and adult males and queens emerge at the end of September. In the tropics, colony duration is two to three months longer, but still annual (Archer 1997)(Archer 1997):
Archer ME. 1997. Taxonomy, distribution, and nesting biology of Vespa affinis (L.) and Vespa mocsaryana du Buysson (Hym., Vespidae). Entomologistrsquo;s Monthly Magazine 133: 27ndash;38..
May be confused with
Vespa analis
- V. affinis male pronotal carina much interrupted by the pronotal pit
- V. affinis male first gastral tergumtergum:
the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a speciifc segment, such as T1, T2, etc.
in dorsaldorsal:
the top surface of a structure
view elongate, about half as long as wide (Archer 2015)(Archer 2015):
Bequaert J. 1936. The common Oriental hornets, Vespa tropica and Vespa affinis , and their color forms. Treubia 15 (4): 329ndash;351.
Vespa crabro, V. simillima
- V. affinis ventralventral:
the underside of an insect, or segment of an insect
metapleural punctures well-defined and nearly contiguous, V. crabro and V. simillima ventralventral:
the underside of an insect, or segment of an insect
metapleural punctures shallow, separated by 1 puncture diameter or more (Kimsey and Carpenter 2012)(Kimsey and Carpenter 2012):
Kimsey LS amp; JM Carpenter. 2012. The Vespinae of North America. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 28: 37ndash;65. Doi.org/10.3897/jhr.28.3514.
Vespa luctuosa
- V. luctuosa male apicalapical:
near or at the apex or end of any structure
margin of the seventh gastral sternumsternum:
the plates on the underside of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment, like S1, S2, etc.
with two shallow emarginations (Archer 2015)(Archer 2015):
Bequaert J. 1936. The common Oriental hornets, Vespa tropica and Vespa affinis , and their color forms. Treubia 15 (4): 329ndash;351.
Vespa mocsaryana
- V. mocsaryana scutellar punctures small and separated by two puncture diameters, while V. affinis scutellar punctures large and contiguous, or separated by 1 puncture diameter or less
Known introductions
Vespa affinis has been introduced to Australia, New Zealand, and the United States (Smith-Pardo et al. 2020)(Smith-Pardo et al. 2020):
Smith-Pardo A., JM Carpenter amp; LS Kimsey. 2020. The diversity of hornets in the genus Vespa , their importance and interceptions in the United States. Insect Systematics and Diversity 4 (3): 1ndash;27..
